Just One Week
by Enula
Summary: Takes place after Cell. Vegeta leaves Bulma, and Goku's dead, but ChiChi's taking it much harder. Bulma now has to take care of 3 boys by herself...but maybe she'll have some help. GkBu COMPLETE!
1. Can Things Get Any Worse?

**__**

Just One Week

I.

If you know me, you would say that I'm lucky. What with being the beautiful genius that I am, I would think that also. But if you know me well, you would just say that I lived an interesting life. Of course, that explains a lot more than what it sounds. It's more explained as a dangerous, weird, twisted form of interesting. But I have no regrets…well, not much anyway. I admit that there are some things I would have done differently, or not even done at all. Why worry about it though? You can't go back in time…okay, so maybe you can, my own son has taught me that.

Anyway, I'm getting off the subject at hand. What this whole thing is really about is what happened to me in my short (but interesting) life. I met Goku when I was only sixteen and I have to say that running into him (literally) was the best thing that has ever happened to me. That right there scares me more than anything does…

I also met Yamcha when I was sixteen and I fell in love with him quickly. Or…I thought I did. It seems like I was living a lie for years. 

Along the way, I also met Chi-Chi, Krillin, Master Roshi (whom I can still live without), and many others. When Goku got married and had a son, Gohan, I was shocked and also a bit…jealous. I always had images in my mind of me and Yamcha getting married and having a family first…but then it turns out sweet, innocent Goku is the first. At that time, I didn't know I was jealous for a different reason.

To make this brief…the Saiyans' came, we all had to go to Namek, Goku stayed there to defeat Freiza, came back, we met a young, handsome boy from the future (that turned out to be my son), and he warned us about the androids. The Z gang had three years to prepare and in those three short years, Yamcha and me grew apart and Vegeta and I became closer. We ended up having that son of ours named Trunks. The androids came soon enough, followed by Cell and after him…you would think life would be much better, but for me? Everything seemed to go downhill.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Bulma paced back and forth quickly in front of the static filled screen of the television with Trunks in her arms. She was silent, looking at the blue carpet that she walked on before she let out a frustrated groan, making the baby jump a little.

"What did the TV have to break _now_?!" Bulma screamed, kicking the couch with her left foot, trying unsuccessfully to let out her stress.

"I mean, aren't they done fighting that lizard yet?!" she groaned again, about to flip the station to see if anything else showed a picture, but the door burst open as soon as she did.

"Woman!" came the voice from the door before another slam.

Bulma smiled immediately, "Vegeta…" she rushed to the other room where she found Vegeta holding his right shoulder and dragging his left leg. Blood covered various parts of his body and the clothing he wore was now nothing more than torn rags.

"Oh, Vegeta…" she gasped, "You look horrible!" Bulma knew it was about the most stupid thing to say, but she couldn't think of anything else, not when a sight like that walks into her house.

Vegeta only glared at her as he made his way slowly across the room, "Where's that ship you've been working on?"

Bulma blinked, "Wha—?" she began before she realized what he was talking about. Right after she had Trunks, she thought she needed to lose weight to get back her figure. So she began building a space ship to do that, knowing that building one did take a lot of energy and Trunks always found it amusing to watch her. She just finished it about a half a week ago when everyone was under a large amount of stress.

"It's in my lab out back, why? What's that have to do with anything?" Bulma asked, but never received an answer as the injured Vegeta staggered on to her lab.

Of course, she followed him, "Vegeta, tell me what's going on. What happened?" she entered her large lab behind Vegeta, constantly switching Trunks from arm to arm; she was so anxious.

Vegeta ignored her questions; "You built a rejuvenation-tank in there, right?" He stood beside the large, off-white ship, looking it over.

Bulma pursed her lips together, trying as hard as she could not to snap at him, "Mm…yes. Now will you tell me?"

He didn't answer her.

She scowled and walked over beside him, "Vegeta, come on! At least tell me the main points!"

Vegeta sighed, letting her know how annoyed he was getting, "Fine…your future son died and so did Kakarot. Everyone else went home. The end."

Without even waiting for her to take in this information, he pushed a green button on the ship, making a door open up and a ramp fall to the ground.

Bulma's face became pale, "No…Trunks…Goku…no," she kept repeating this until she got snapped out of her thoughts from the sound of Vegeta limping up the ramp.

"Where are you going?" she asked, "Are you going to Namek to wish them back?"

Vegeta snorted, reaching the platform of the ship and turning around to look down at her, "Hardly. Even if I was supposed to, I wouldn't."

She tried to comprehend what he was saying, but only drew a blank, "What are you saying?"

He pushed another green button on the right side of the door frame, making the ramp gradually rise up, "Trunks is already back, but Kakarot decided to stay in the other dimension," without pausing, he went on, "And with Kakarot dead, I have no purpose for staying on this pathetic planet. I am going back into space where I most enjoy myself."

"What?! No!" Bulma screamed, now only seeing his head. From her yelling, Trunks began to cry loudly, "Vegeta, what about me…what about your son?!"

Vegeta chuckled, "That's just the question, isn't it? What about you?" Before Bulma could respond, the ramp closed, making Vegeta disappear.

"You bastard, get back here!" she shrieked, running to the ship to press the green button, but Vegeta already started it, having the ship give out a big gust of air from the bottom, sending Bulma flying backwards to land on her rear. She held Trunks tightly to her chest, not sure if the ship or the baby was louder.

The ship slowly ascended, making the sun roof top from her lab open up automatically for Vegeta to leave Capsule Corp. Bulma knew she kept screaming "no", but was unheard from the much louder noises. As soon as the ship was completely out of the lab and floating above, it froze and for a moment, Bulma thought Vegeta was going to come back. That thought soon faded as the legs of the ship folded to be apart of the bottom and the ship blasted off in a blink of an eyes and Bulma watched it go until it was no more than a little speck in the distance.

Besides the sound of Trunks crying, everything got quiet and it almost seemed to Bulma that the quick incident never occurred. Almost. Her eyes dilated and she blocked out Trunks.

__

Vegeta…I could have sworn that he cared about me…even just a little bit. Oh Goku, why don't you want to come back? We need you…I _need you. _ Bulma suddenly came out of her trance when Trunks wailed deafly in her ear. She looked down at him and that's when she realized she herself was crying.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes roughly with the back of her hand and got to her feet wobbly and bounced Trunks on her hip, "Shh…don't cry, Trunks, everything to going to be okay."

__

I hope. She thought in her mind as she walked out of her lab and back into the living room. Already, Trunks was settling down so she lay him on the couch, hoping he was tired. He proved her right once he saw that his mother wasn't going anywhere and he stopped crying.

Bulma picked up the cordless phone that was laying on the coffee table in front of the couch. She pressed in the familiar numbers that leads to the Son household with shaking fingers. Pressing the phone tightly to her ear, she began pacing again and biting her fingernails. Bulma let the phone ring loudly for two minutes before hanging up and trying again, thinking that maybe she dialed wrong with her unsteady fingers. That time she was sure she didn't make a mistake, and she waited another two minutes when at last she threw the phone down to the floor roughly, making it bounce and opening the lid in the back, causing the batteries to fly out.

From the noise, Trunks stirred in his sleep and Bulma had to hold her breath, hoping Trunks would stay asleep. To her luck, he just made a sigh and fell back to sleep. She made a sigh herself and ran out of the room to head upstairs, but before she got that far, she bumped into her mom.

"Well, hello there, Bulma dear! What's your hurry today?" her mother asked in her high-pitched voice.

Bulma ignored her, "Mom, I'll explain later. Right now, can you just watch Trunks for me? He's sleeping on the couch, thanks!" With that, Bulma headed out the door, grabbing a capsule quickly. She threw it, watching it hit the ground and making a loud bang and a cloud of smoke. 

Jumping into the green plane with the CC logo on the side, she pulled the stick shift towards her, making the vehicle go to the air immediately, where she then pushed the stick away from her, soaring off towards the Sons'.

It only took her about ten minutes to arrive, a new record on her speed. She jumped out of the plane before it landed. She ran to the Sons' little cottage-like-house, knocking on the door loudly.

"Gohan! Chi-Chi! Anyone home?!" Bulma called, putting her ear to the door to listen for any sound. None came but just as she was about to knock again, she heard a loud scream that could belong to no other besides Chi-Chi. Bulma turned the doorknob and was relieved to find it open.

"Gohan?!" she yelled again, flying from room to room, "Gohan?!"

"Bulma, is that you?" a little boys voice called from down the hall. Immediately, Bulma ran down to the last room on the right side, gasping as she stood in the doorway.

Gohan stood by the door also, looking even more frightened than when he first saw Cell. Chi-Chi sat on her bed, her eyes dancing wildly and her normally pulled back hair that went into a tight bun all over the place on top of her head and getting in her face's way. She quickly stood up and ran over to a closet, shoving it open so hard that it made two hinges come out of the wall, also making the door slant at an odd angle. Chi-Chi began pulling out all of Goku's gi's and tossing them on the bed.

"Gotta hurry up and pack his clothes! The sooner he leaves, the sooner he'll be back!" Chi-Chi screamed like she was talking to someone that was in a different room.

Bulma made a weird face, trying to figure out what Chi-Chi was doing. Didn't she know that Goku was dead?

Gohan averted his eyes from his mother to Bulma, giving a sad expression with his eyes lowering, "I came home and broke the news to Mom that…that Dad was dead. I don't know what happened, she just started going crazy." He explained, hanging his head low when he felt warm tears sting his eyes.

__

Oh…so that's what this is about. Bulma said to herself, putting her hand gently on Gohan's head to try to soothe him, even though she knew there wasn't much she could do. Slowly, she walked in the room and over to Chi-Chi, who was half way in the closet.

"Chi-Chi?" she asked, wondering if she could even get her attention normally.

Of course not. The only thing Bulma was greeted with was one of Goku's blue shirts thrown on her head. She slid it off, messing up her straight hair and looked sympathetically at Chi-Chi's back.

"Chi-Chi, listen, you got to stop this. Goku's gone and your son needs you right now, so—."

Abruptly , Chi-Chi turned around and got right up in Bulma's face, a look of pure anger written all over her features, "Are you saying my Goku's already gone and he didn't even pack any fresh clothing?!"

"Uhh…" Bulma took a step back, clinging tightly to Goku's shirt like it would protect her, "No. I mean…yes. I mean…" she shook her head, trying to get a hold of herself, "Chi-Chi, Goku's dead and he's going to stay dead. That's all there is to it."

Chi-Chi stood straight up with her hands on her hips, scowling at the air, "Oooo, when I get my hands on him…he should know by now that he can stink up a storm when he trains like he does! Doesn't he want some fresh clothes!"

"Maybe…" Bulma tried to think of a reasonable explanation for Goku until Chi-Chi was able to calm herself down, "maybe he's just going to buy new clothes wherever he's at."

The dark hair-ed woman stared at her blankly for a moment, lowering her arms so they fell to her sides, "Buy new clothes?"

Bulma nodded vigorously, glad Chi-Chi was buying it.

But suddenly, another glare came across her face, "Buy new clothes?! Goku knows that we don't have the money for that! And Kami forbids that that man get a job! That's it!" Chi-Chi stepped forward, pushing Bulma out of the way. Since Chi-Chi was stronger than she was, Bulma stumbled back, feeling like she was going to fall backwards, but Gohan quickly caught her. As his hands rested on her arms, she then realized just how beat up Gohan really did look. He had scratches and bruises all over his body, his clothes torn and dried blood staining his skin.

Before another thought could cross her mind, she got pushed out of the way again as Chi-Chi walked out of the room carrying all of Goku's clothes in her arms.

"Mom, where are you going?" Gohan asked, running out into the hall to see her walk towards the door, struggling to open it and hold all the clothing at once.

About time Bulma and Gohan got to her, she succeeded with the door and continued her way outside. They both followed, filled with questions with what she was planning on doing.

Chi-Chi moved out about ten feet from her house before dropping the pile of clothing in a big heap on the ground. She reached into her house-dress's pocket to reveal a lighter.

__

What the hell is she doing with that thing? Bulma asked herself and, needless to say, Gohan was thinking just about the same thing.

Without another passing moment, Chi-Chi bent down and lit the lighter, putting it to one of Goku's orange pants, stepping back as soon as the flame traveled quickly through all of the clothes, making a medium sized fire.

"Chi-Chi/Mom!" they both screamed at once, shocked beyond believe that Chi-Chi would go to such measures. Hearing her name, she spun around on her heels and glared at them as if they started the fire right outside her house.

"Well, if Goku wants new clothes, he sure in hell is going to _have _to get new clothes!" she stated proudly before turning back towards the fire, which was slowly beginning to pick up on some leaves that were close by the clothes.

Gohan gasped, "Mom, don't say that!" Already, tears upon tears were sliding down his cheeks, his fists tightly clenched together to draw more blood in his palms.

Bulma looked down at the child, blinking in confusion. How could Chi-Chi do and say all that in front of him? She was sure it was hard enough on him that his father was gone and never coming back, but with his mother going crazy, that could just as well push him over the edge also. Just thinking about that possibility made her angry beyond believe. Being a mother herself now, she knew that the well-being of the child was the most important thing a mother could think of.

That's the only thing that kept her from losing her insanity when Vegeta left. Trunks gave her the will-power to be strong, for him, for her, and for all her friends.

Holding Goku's shirt tightly to her chest, thinking that it would make her brave, she took huge steps to where Chi-Chi stood. Without thinking twice, Bulma spun her around and held her tightly by the shoulders so she could look her in the eye. Chi-Chi sure enough looked surprised from the motion.

"Just what do you think you are doing?!" Bulma yelled in her face, fury running through her veins, "Goku's gone and you have to accept that! Gohan needs you more than ever right now!"

Speaking his name made both of the woman look over to the house to see Gohan, not really crying anymore, but still looking just as helpless. They turned back to each other at the same time.

"You lost your husband, but he lost his father. And at that young an age, I would say that's just as bad, if not worse. Chi-Chi, you have to come to your senses!" That was all Bulma could think of to say, for if she couldn't get through to Chi-Chi that way, well…she could always try knocking her out.

At first, Chi-Chi's expression was blank, as was her mind. Not knowing what to say, she looked down in shame as tears spilled to the ground, "Why isn't Goku coming back?"

"I…I don't know," and that was the truth. Bulma didn't find one reason Goku wouldn't come back if there was a way for it.

"He thought the world would be better without him." Gohan spoke up, yet never leaving his spot where he stood.

"Better off?" Even Bulma had to chuckle a little at the thought, "How could it be better without him? He's the one that always saved the world time after time and—."

"Yeah, but he found it to be his fault," Gohan explained, his eyes softening even more so, "The reason the world was always in danger so he could save it was _because _of him. Everyone always wanted him dead for one reason or another and…he figured that with him…dead"—she saw Gohan cringe just from saying it—"no one would be out to destroy his home."

As soon as he ended Goku's reasoning, Chi-Chi sobbed loudly, bringing her hands to her face, "But I need him more than ever right now," she muffled out.

Bulma's eyes softened also, knowing that feeling of need, "Yeah, but Gohan needs you. Imagine the pain he'd feel if he lost both of you, do you really want him to feel that?"

Chi-Chi only shook her head with her hands never leaving her face, but she took in a wavering breath and spoke again; "It's not just that…"

Big, blue eyes blinked, wondering what else Chi-Chi was going to say.

Sniffing, Chi-Chi finally lifted her face from her hands, feeling the heat from the growing, yet momentarily forgotten, fire. She looked into the eyes of her only female friend, "I'm pregnant."

Once again, Bulma gasped. She watched as Chi-Chi buried her face in her hands again before turning towards Gohan to see his reaction, which was mostly stunned. He opened and closed his mouth a million times, oblivious as to what to say or think. She turned back to Chi-Chi, wrapping her arms around her to give her a gentle hug.

"It's okay, Chi-Chi, me along with everyone else will help you through this, all right?" Bulma spoke softly, pulling away from the other woman to see if her words did any good and, by the look of it, it really didn't.

Suddenly, a small flame shot out to get the bottom of Bulma's jeans, making her cry out and swat her hand at it, making it go out. She thanked Kami that it wasn't a large flame.

Thinking quickly, Gohan ran up and blasted some sort of blast at the fire, making it all go out. That left the badly burnt clothes, now mostly ashes, to be seen clearly. Bulma turned away quickly, getting unpleasant visions of how Goku died.

Looking down, Chi-Chi turned to her house, walking inside, not even bothering to close the door behind her. Bulma looked sadly after her, then turning to Gohan who looked down at his fathers once favorite clothes.

"Hey," Bulma began, getting down on one knee. Even though he was a lot taller than he was when she first bent down to look him better in the eye, she still felt the need to do it. "Try not to worry, Gohan. Your mom is just in shock from it all, but I'm sure she'll snap out of it soon."

Gohan only looked down at her miserably, squeezing his eyes closed to let the access tears fall. Bulma bit her lip to keep from crying also, knowing she had to be strong for Gohan at the moment, since his mom wasn't. She wrapped her arms around his torso to give him a hug, feeling his own arms wrap around her neck and cry silently into her shoulder.

__

This must be the worst day of his life… she commented in her mind, running her hand up and down his back to quiet him. And since Gohan had to learn to deal with pain, his sobbing quickly subsided and his tears stopped flowing, though wetness still clouded his vision.

Bulma pulled away all too soon for his comfort, but he wasn't about to hold onto her, for he felt he had to stop being so childish and push away his pain.

Bulma saw this as she looked into his eyes, but decided not to comment on it. She felt that maybe it would be for the best if he grew up a little quicker…he was going to have to be a brother and a father to his new sibling. It wasn't fair to him, but at the moment, it seemed to be the only way for this family to get by.

She kissed him on his cheek before standing up again, attempting to give him a small smile, "How 'bout you go see how your mom is doing, okay?"

Gohan only nodded, wiping his eyes roughly with his arm.

"You can call me anytime you need me, all right?" she asked, looking from him, to his house, to her plane further off to the right.

He nodded again, walking slowly to his house, waving non-enthusiastically behind him, "See ya later."

"'Bye, Gohan," she said before walking in the other direction towards her plane.

That's it for now! I was so planning on writing this at the beginning of summer but…kinda got held back from it, don't you think? Lol, well, here it is! A little short, but no shorter than some of my other chapters from different stories. Hope you enjoy is so far and please review!

And sorry for the very dedicated V/B fans that "accidentally" read this and didn't appreciate it. ^_^ Gomen.


	2. Living in a Hollywood Horror

**__**

Just One Week

II.

About time I got home from seeing Gohan and Chi-Chi, it was around eight at night, and I was terrified out of my mind. Have you ever watched a horror movie alone…and even if it was probably the stupidest scary movie ever made, it made you scared? Yeah, well, watching the scene that Chi-Chi acted out only a short hour or so ago was enough to give me the creeps. I thanked Kami that my parents were home…gees! Now I'm beginning to sound like a little girl!

Anyway, I landed the plane, pressing the button on the side to capsule it, shoving it in my pocket as I walked up to my home. I pressed in the ten familiar digits and shortly after that, I was safe and sound in my living room, where my baby was still sound asleep on the couch with one of the robots looking over him.

Wait…one of the robots?!

"Hey, where's my parents?" Bulma asked herself, once she noticed that Trunks was being baby-sat by one of her parents servant robots, _again_.

She sighed loudly, going to the kitchen and opening the refrigerator, taking out the container of orange juice.

"Mom! Dad!" She yelled, getting a glass and pouring herself a drink. After hearing no answer, she walked back over to the refrigerator, "Hm, wonder where they went off to…"

Once she reached the icebox again, she noticed a piece of paper that held very small handwriting on it, which could only belong to one person…her mother.

Bulma ripped off the letter that was held up by a magnet and read over it quickly, mostly only caring about the little part that happened to say "…last minute notice business trip! See you in a few days!"

She groaned. So much for being able to have her parents there when she was freaked…

Picking up her glass of orange juice, Bulma went back into the living room, sitting at the opposite end of the couch from where Trunks slept, staring at him for awhile. She suddenly shivered.

"Man, for once in my life, I seriously want that kid to wake up and cry as loud as he can," she said, when she realized how quiet the house really did seem. 

She looked at the phone that was lying on the coffee table.

"Maybe I should call someone…but who?" What a dumb question! Who was the person she always called when she was feeling lonely?

Bulma pressed in the ten numbers she knew in a heartbeat, listening to it ring for about five seconds, taking little sips of her drink.

"Hello?" Came the voice on the other end, sounding very tired.

"Hi, Yamcha!" Bulma said happily, glad she got a hold of him, "What are you doing?"

He was heard yawning, "Nothing…sleeping. It's been a long day and I couldn't wait to get some rest."

Suddenly, Bulma felt bad about disturbing him. And she thought shopping all day was very tiring, she had no idea how tiring it was to fight someone that was three times stronger than herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll let you go." She said, about to click the power button with her thumb and try someone else.

"No, wait!" Yamcha said quickly, when he realized she was about to hang up. He yawned again, "Did you need anything?"

Bulma shook her head, but then realized Yamcha couldn't see that action over the phone, "No, not really. Just someone to talk to…I feel lonely."

"Lonely?" A pause, "Isn't Vegeta there?"

Bulma sighed, deciding now was as good a time as ever to tell him, "No…he left earlier today…when he came back from fighting Cell."

"What?!" Yamcha yelled, seemingly very confused, "What do you mean he left? Where did he go?"

"He…" Bulma paused. Oh Kami, she knew this would happen. She would begin to talk about it, then she would get all teary eyed and feel very low.

"Bulma?" Yamcha asked when she didn't go on.

"He…he left," was all she said. Even though she already told him that part, she didn't think she would have enough strength to tell him where he left to.

"I'll be right there, Bulma," Yamcha told her. And before she could get another word in, the line went dead, indicating that he had already hung up. She, too, pressed the power button, setting the phone back down on the table. She stared off into space for awhile, thinking of what was going to happen and what they were going to talk about when Yamcha arrived.

Her thoughts didn't last too long, however, as Trunks abruptly cooed and stretched, telling her he was awake and ready to be held again. This brought a small smile to her face, knowing she still had her little boy, if nothing else. Reaching across the couch, she wrapped her hands under Trunks' body, picking him up gently and resting him on her lap.

"Did you have a nice nap, honey?" she asked the baby, bouncing her knee a little, making him giggle in response.

__

Maybe I am thinking too much on the pessimistic side…just because my future son and Vegeta left, and Goku's dead, doesn't mean there isn't everyone else. I still have Yamcha, Gohan, Chi-Chi, Krillin (although I don't see him too often anyway), and…my parents.

Bulma smiled, proud of herself for thinking differently for the first time that day. She looked down at Trunks again, seeing him smile up at her widely. That alone put a big smile on her face.

__

Yeah…things will definitely be looking up here very soon…

Just then, her doorbell rang, followed by the opening of the door. Since Yamcha did live at Capsule Corp. for quite awhile, he also knew the password off by heart. She sat there, waiting for him to enter the living room. Once he did, she noticed that he looked about the same as Gohan. Well, she could tell he took a shower, but tons of bruises were still in focus.

"Bulma?" Yamcha asked, walking quickly over to the couch and sitting beside her, "Are you okay?"

Bulma gave him a brave smile and nodded, "Yeah, I'll be just fine."

Yamcha, too, nodded, his muscles un-tensing once he realized she really was okay, "Well…did you want to talk about anything?" he asked, leaning back against the couch, slumped slightly.

"No, nothing in particular…" Bulma said slowly before she sighed, "Okay, so maybe there is."

Hearing this, Yamcha smirked, loving the way Bulma would always give in to talking about something, even if no one made her. Actually, that was probably the only time she did talk freely…when she herself wanted to.

Bulma started off slowly, "Vegeta came home today…all beat up and bruised, but I was pretty much expecting that…"

As she went on with her story of what happened earlier that day, she knew a couple of tears slid down her cheeks, but she made no effort to push them away. After all, any girl that was any girl would be heartbroken over what she just went through. 

And Yamcha listened intensely, his eyes often narrowing when she told him something that made him really ticked off at Vegeta. Bulma even went as far as to tell him what happened at the Sons' place, that alone making her voice crack. It was then when she actually did realize how much that frightened her.

When she was done, her eyes and nose stung with pain of not getting that relieve to cry. But it wasn't because she was holding back, it was because she remembered how brave Gohan was being and he was just a kid…her, being a full grown woman, figured she would be able to handle anything that came her way.

She hung her head low, looking down at Trunks who, once again, fell asleep, and sighed, "Everything just seems really screwed up right now."

Yamcha nodded, wrapping his one arm around her shoulders and pulling her back against the couch with him, holding her in a comforting manner, "Yeah, but after awhile, everything should go back to normal."

Bulma nodded, snuggling against Yamcha more and holding Trunks closer to her bosom, "I really hope you're right, Yamcha…I miss the good old days."

He chuckled, tilting his head back so it could rest against the top of the couch in a comfortable position, "I do, too, Bulma…I think everyone does."

She nodded, biting her bottom lip, not sure if she wanted to say what was on her mind or not.

"…Yamcha?" she asked quietly, almost in a very hushed whisper.

"Mm-hmm?" he responded, yet not moving from his position.

Bulma put her elbow against the back of the couch in order to prop herself up and look at Yamcha, yet not disturb Trunks at the same time. But as she looked…she felt her face grow red as she became nervous and suddenly wished she just would've kept her mouth shut.

Yamcha looked down at her, curiosity running through his eyes, "What is it?"

She took a deep breath and… "Why _not_ go back to the good old days?" she asked, taking her one hand away from holding Trunks to reach out and grab Yamcha's hand that wasn't around her shoulder.

He blinked a couple of times at her, looked down at their hands, then looked back at her, "What do you…mean?"

If it was any other time, she would have slapped him upside the head for being so stupid. But at the moment, she was trying to prove a point.

Turning sideways more, Bulma began to lean forward, pressing her lips to his ever so gently. Thankfully, he responded almost immediately, making Bulma relax and squeeze his hand tighter.

Actually, she had no intention of letting go, if it wasn't for the fact that Trunks groaned, since he was kind of getting smothered in between the two.

Bulma pulled her lips away from his, opening her eyes to meet his. She blushed a little, having it been over a year since the two shared a kiss like that.

She felt her lips pull up at the sides, showing him a smile, "So…how 'bout it?"

Yamcha stared dumbfounded at her, as if he didn't know what just happened and was at a loss of words. He averted his eyes to their hands once more, noticing that Bulma was gently massaging his hand with her thumb. He blinked a couple of times, snapping himself out of his thoughts. He sighed and looked back up at Bulma with sad eyes.

"Bulma…I'm sorry. Too much time has gone by and…" his shoulders slumped, "I just can't."

Even though she heard this, her small smile didn't disappear. It looked almost like he said "I'll seriously think about it" instead of what he actually did say.

"You…can't?" she finally questioned.

He shook his head, "I already planned out my life…I'm continuing with baseball in about a week."

Bulma's smile faded as she looked at him questioningly, "Baseball?"

Yamcha nodded, "Yeah, after fighting Cell, I realized that I was done with fighting. Why not retire from it and go to something else I enjoy? Baseball…that's the first thing that came to mind."

Nodding her head slowly, Bulma looked down at Trunks and ran her hand over his head, "So you're choosing baseball over me?"

"No, no!" Yamcha said, squeezing her hand to reassure her, "It's just—."

Bulma smirked some, "You did a double negative. That means yes."

Yamcha shook his head hard, "No, Bulma!"

She chuckled a bit, seeing Yamcha getting all flustered over nothing, "Yamcha, I was just kidding…actually, it's quite understandable that you want to go back to something that's much less…stressful." She shrugged and continued on, "And I made my mistake of sleeping with Vegeta, and I'll just deal with the consequences on my own."

His eyes softened, pulling her back to him for a warm embrace, "Don't say that, Bulma. You know you'll never be alone."

Bulma thought about this for a moment before nodding, "Yeah…I guess you're right."

With that said, she yawned, which made Yamcha yawn.

He laughed a little, "Guess I'm still kind of tired…"

Bulma nodded, closing her eyes and rubbing her cheek against his shoulder while squeezing Trunks lightly, "Stay with me tonight?"

She felt Yamcha push away some of the hair that fell in her face, "Of course…"

Sighing in content, she slowly felt herself drifting off to sleep.

**********

The next morning, Bulma awoke lying on the couch, still holding Trunks in her arms, with a big blanket draped over them. She blinked a couple of times, trying to get used to the light of day. She looked around tiredly, lifting her head off the comfy cushion.

"Yamcha?" she called out groggily, slapping her hand to her forehead and running it back through her messy hair. Groaning, she sat up slowly, making sure not to disturb Trunks. She wrapped the blanket around him more securely before standing up wobbly and making her way into the kitchen.

"Yamcha?" she said again, going over to the table and sitting down in one of the chairs. Looking at the table, she noticed another piece of paper sitting there. She picked it up and read it, noticing that it was from Yamcha and he had to go sometime around nine a.m. Bulma put the paper back down on the table, resting her head on her arms and hiding her face. She was still on the tired side, but sleeping on a couch all night made her sore. 

__

Now what am I going to do? Yamcha's off playing baseball, my parents are going to be away for awhile, and I'm sure Gohan and Chi-Chi don't want me to bother them…

She looked at the door that led to the living room, which Trunks slept in.

__

Maybe we can go shopping…Trunks does need some new clothes, and while we're at it, I can get some new things for myself.

Bulma smiled through her sleepiness and put her head back down, "I'm a genius…" she complimented herself, feeling herself begin to doze off again…

"_WAAAAA!!" _came a sudden wail. Bulma hopped out of her seat like an alarm just went off beside her head. Once she focused her mind more, she realized it was Trunks crying.

She jogged into the living room, "Oh my, calm down, Trunks. Mommy's here," she said, reassuring him. She picked him up and bounced him lightly, trying to calm him down. She did a complete circle, acting like she was dancing with him.

"You're a divine dancer, Trunks," she said, giggling a bit, but that only made him cry harder and louder.

Bulma winced, never really enjoying the half-Saiyan child's abnormally high pitched voice. She took a deep breath and…

"Whoa! Pee-u, Trunks! I think someone needs a diaper changing!" Bulma announced, walking to the steps and bouncing up them, "How about I just give you a nice, warm bath while we're at it, ne?"

Trunks screamed again, letting his mother know he was very unhappy. Bulma quickly got to the bathroom, setting him down on the changing table. She stripped him of his clothes, cleaned him off a bit, then settled him in the perfectly warm bath water.

Almost immediately, Trunks settled down.

Bulma smiled, proud of herself, "There, see! That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

Trunks only stared up at her strangely as she got a washcloth and ran it over his shoulders and down his chest, resting on her knees as she did so.

She sighed silently as she spilled some water on Trunks' head, getting what little hair he had wet. 

__

I love Trunks with all my heart, but sometimes I wish I would've had a girl…we would have had more in common, that's for sure.

Bulma giggled when Trunks put his hands down quickly in the water, splashing water into his face, making him squint his eyes and shake his head.

__

But I'm very happy with what I've got. Who knows, maybe Chi-Chi will have a baby girl, that way it'll be more evenly matched.

"Right, Trunks?" she asked him, even though she wasn't talking out loud before, "Then maybe you two can grow up together and be a cute little couple, huh?" she giggled again, pinching his chubby cheek playfully.

__

Heh…that wouldn't be half-bad. She thought to herself once more. _Goku's daughter and my son in love…_

Actually, she just realized how that sounded. Not noticing that she lowered the washcloth into the water and stopped scrubbing Trunks, she stared off into space.

__

Guess it'll be like one of those…'never happened in the first generation, so why not let it happen in the second generation?' thing. I wonder how life would be now if Goku and I got together instead of…

Bulma shook her head and stared wide-eyed at Trunks, like he suggested the subject, "Whoa! Where'd that thought come from?" she asked, noticing that Trunks had his eyebrow raised at her.

She laughed, "You're not even two years old and already you think I'm crazy?" she reached for his stomach and tickled him, enjoying hearing his laugh.

__

Life will be perfectly fine in no time…

Hello! Wow, has it actually been four months since I updated this thing?! Gees, I'm so sorry to those of you who reviewed! I guess when I started school again, I just got behind on my work when I tried to write and I kept thinking up new story ideas and completely abandoned my old ones! How mean of me! ^_^ Oh well, it's finally updated, so, please review!

BTW: I changed my name to Enula…and I hope you liked the little Bulma/Yamcha scene. Hehe! 


	3. Four Years Later

**__**

Just One Week

III.

Needless to say, four long months passed since the whole Cell incident occurred, and things did pretty much go back to normal. Pretty much. I began working like crazy on my inventions again, pulling all-nighters (which actually came in handy when Trunks woke up in the middle of the night) like I did when I was a teenager. Trunks was beginning to walk and say things, mostly "What?!" in response to what anyone ever said to him. Yamcha left South City for his baseball career, so after that one sweet night we spent together, I haven't seen him that much. I'm guessing Krillin still lives at Master Roshi's place, training away, but who knows.

I think the only one of us who didn't go back to normal was Chi-Chi. In fact, she got worse. It was quite horrible actually, especially for poor Gohan. His mother wouldn't cook at all, even though she knew she had two _of her kids to feed, which made her sick also. As far as what Gohan's told me, she hasn't been going outside or cleaning or doing anything. I myself even have to say that when I went over to visit them, she didn't look too healthy. I often yelled at her, telling her to get over it and take care of herself and her family, but do you think she ever listened? Of course not!_

To tell you the truth, I think she meant to do all of it. She knew how hard it was to have a baby and _she knew it would be even harder if she was unhealthy. Chi-Chi knew she couldn't survive that…and that's what made the day Gohan called me, all out of breath, telling me that his mother was going into labor, Freak Me Out part two…_

Sweat dripped from Bulma's head as she rode in her CC plane towards the Sons' house, going as fast as she could. Yes, it was déjà vu all over again. She wasn't able to think a single straight thought ever since Gohan called her five minutes earlier, sounding terribly frightened; one of those things that made her want to put Barney on the television, just so she could see something overly joyful.

Thinking the stupid plane was taking too long to get her to her destination, she clicked a few buttons located on the control panel, thanking herself for adding the fast speed button to the collection.

Yet when she saw the little cottage come into view, she suddenly wished she could just turn around and go back to her own home. But of course, she couldn't do that to Gohan, so she just swallowed her fear and moved the stick shift forward, landing the plane right outside the door.

Bulma stepped out of the plane, pausing before she went any further. It was hard to admit to herself, but she suddenly felt extremely guilty when she realized that she hadn't visited them in…about three to four weeks. Who knows what could have happened between that time.

It was strangely quiet. She was right against the door and she couldn't hear anything. Not Chi-Chi yelling from labor pains (or just yelling in general, which was eerie in itself), not Gohan telling her to be strong and hang on…nothing.

She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

__

Stop being like this, Bulma! Now is not the time…

She put her hand on the doorknob and opened it as quickly as she could, not wanting to waste any more time than she already has.

"Gohan?" she called out, closing the door behind her and walking through the living room.

Suddenly, Gohan popped out from his parents' bedroom, looking just as frantic as he sounded on the phone.

"Bulma! Thank goodness you're here! There's something wrong with my mom!" he yelled, disappearing within the bedroom again.

__

Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Gohan. She said mentally, running in after him, only to see a sight that literally took her breath away.

Chi-Chi, who was half-laying, half-sitting on the bed, was utterly and completely pale. Her once dark raven black hair was dulled and frizzed. It was quite obvious she hadn't been taking care of her hair from the knotty look, plus most of her hair was matted to her forehead from all the sweating. Her eyes were wide open, her pupils dilated, and if it wasn't for the fact that she let out heavy breaths every ten seconds, Bulma would've sworn Chi-Chi was already gone.

"Oh, Chi-Chi…" Bulma whispered, feeling tears feel up her eyes, "What have you done to yourself?"

Gohan went back to his mom, grabbing her hand and wincing, indicating that he didn't like the frozen feel whatsoever, "Mom, you're gonna have to hold on, you're gonna live through this!" He shouted, tears already running down his cheeks.

Chi-Chi didn't even look over at him. Her eyes were fixed down on her stomach, unblinking, like she was amazed.

Bulma began to walk closer to Chi-Chi, but stopped in her tracks and jumped from surprise when Chi-Chi suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and let out a pain-filled scream. That's when Bulma ran over to her, standing on the opposite side of Gohan.

"Chi-Chi! Do you think you have enough strength to deliver your baby?" she asked. She wasn't sure if that was the question she should be asking, but she couldn't just say to hell with the kid and worry about Chi-Chi, who was hardly listening to them anyway.

Breathing heavy for a few more moments, trying to catch her breath, Chi-Chi finally looked over at Bulma.

"Yes…I'll live as long as it takes for me to have my baby…" she groaned in pain and winced, throwing her head back against a pillow and squeezing the life out of Gohan's hand. If it wasn't for the fact that Gohan was strong or not worrying about anything but his mother, his hand would be broken.

"Don't say it like that, Mom…" Gohan choked out, not being able to see any longer from the blurry vision his tears were giving him.

Bulma gave Gohan a sympathetic look. They all knew Chi-Chi wasn't going to make it to see tomorrow, but they all also knew that Gohan believed in the impossible and wouldn't give up until he actually saw that she wasn't with them anymore.

She looked back down at the woman laying helplessly on the bed. Her only close female friend…okay, so maybe they weren't _that _close, but still…if Chi-Chi died, she would be the only female in the group. 

__

What am I saying?! That's not what I should be thinking right now…is it?

Bulma let out a little smile of encouragement, wiping some of the hair that was sticking to Chi-Chi's forehead out of the way, "Let's get this over with…"

**********

"It's almost here, Chi-Chi…!" Bulma yelled, now sweating like crazy herself.

"You can do it, Mom!" Gohan yelled also, still letting his mother squeeze his hand as much as she pleased.

The only response Chi-Chi gave to both of them was a loud groan as she pushed harder, having a determination beyond believe to have the baby.

"I see the head," Bulma said, but mostly to herself, happy it was almost over. With Chi-Chi being in labor for more than two hours, how could anyone blame her?

Chi-Chi took in a deep breath and gave one more push, feeling as though her heart exploded inside of her. 

__

Please…let this be it… 

As all three of them thought this, an overwhelming cry came from the baby. Bulma quickly got a blanket that was thrown from the bed amidst all the chaos and held it open in her hands for the baby, gliding it out the few more inches it needed and wrapped the warm blanket securely around the body, also wiping off some access blood that was on…_his _head. 

Chi-Chi slumped down on the bed, yet not loosening her grip on Gohan's hand. Her breath came out unsteadily, her eyes opening just to squint, "Is…my baby healthy?"

Bulma smiled at her and walked back over to her side, showing her the child, "Yep, a healthy baby boy. Do you want to hold him?"

The dark hair-ed woman tried to lift her arms up, but found it was no use. She shook her head, not wanting to hurt her baby by accident, "No…" Her eyes began closing, her grip finally loosening on Gohan's hand, "But Bulma…take care of Gohan and Goten for me…"

Chi-Chi's eyes closed, her hand falling from Gohan's.

"…Mom? Mom?" Gohan kept calling, shaking her body a little, getting closer to her face, "M-mom…?"

Bulma looked upon Chi-Chi, seeing her body lay perfectly still. She looked down at the newborn, who Chi-Chi said was Goten, before looking over to Gohan, "I'm sorry, Gohan…"

"Mom?" he whispered out, before shaking his head viciously and screaming at the top of his lungs with tears streaming down his face as fast as a flowing river, "_NOOOOO!_"

Feeling her nose begin to sting from the pressure of holding back her own tears, she looked on helplessly as both of the boys cried their hearts out…at the loss of both of their parents.

~*~

__

That was the last time I ever saw Chi-Chi. When we had her funeral, they left the casket closed, her face and body were too horrible to look at. The one that was taking it the hardest was of course Gohan. Losing both of his parents in the same year, I know, has probably traumatized him for life. In life, all kids lose their parents, whether it be when they're all grown up and their parents die from old age, or a tragic accident, leaving the young kids hopeless, helpless, and parent-less. But not all have to go through what Gohan has. After all, he had to watch both of them die right in front of his very eyes…

And now it's been four long years later…

Just like Chi-Chi asked me to do, I took Gohan and Goten in as if they were two of my own. That left me with three kids before I even had a chance to notice it. Though, Gohan was a big help. Whenever I was extremely busy, he would offer to watch his younger brother and Trunks for awhile. At first, I thought he was going to isolate himself from the world and get himself sick, just like Chi-Chi had done. But after the first week, which was the hardest, I'm sure, he was going back outside, training and running around like he used to. His heart wasn't healed, but his spirit was growing.

I always found it funny, throughout the years, watching little Goten. He looked exactly like his dad with his wacky hair and big, innocent eyes; he even acted like him! As soon as he would hear the word 'food', he was there within an instant, eating as much as he could within a five-minute period.

Trunks and him fought as though they were brothers, but also got along as though they were best friends.

My parents were hardly ever home, I think the longest they stayed at Capsule Corp. was two weeks. And no, it wasn't because they couldn't stand being around kids, they just decided to have more of a life on the road. Yep, Cell coming affected them just as much as it did everyone else. But hey, I didn't mind…

I mean, after four years of getting up in the middle of the night to change diapers (or once they were out of diapers), taking them to the bathroom, getting them a drink of water, soothing them after they had a bad dream, or just getting up because they were up…doesn't mean I couldn't handle it! I was a mother of three with no man around to help, but who needs 'em! I think Gohan was better anyway.

Oh, who am I kidding?! I was worn out and I knew it! I began to get dark circles under my eyes that was way too noticeable for my liking, especially in the morning. My eyes were tired, my hair wasn't as shiny as it used to be…I did keep my figure though. Guess that's one plus.

Did I mention that not only Trunks called me Mom? Yeah, Goten did to. Heh…every time I hear that I have to smile. Goku's kid was calling me Mommy…why did it affect me like that? I have not one answer to that question…

Gohan still called me by my name though, but he's also the one who remembers his real mother, so I'm not holding anything against him. I just hope Trunks or Goten don't ask why he doesn't call me Mom…I can't give Goten an answer! Maybe when he's old enough to understand…but can I actually get up enough courage to tell him what happened to his real parents? 

Hmm…maybe I'll leave that up to Gohan.

Anyway, back to "Four Years Later". Trunks was now five, Goten was four, and Gohan-sixteen. He turned into quite a handsome, young boy, if I do say so myself. He never had a girlfriend though…I don't know why. We're surrounded by tons of girls in South City…oh well.

There was one day in particular that stood out from all the rest…the day that changed my life around once again. But this time…it was for the better. For everyone.

* * * * * * * * 

"Mommy, what's for lunch?" Goten came into the kitchen where Bulma was. She was in the middle of untwisting the strap that was wrapped around the opening of the bread.

"Something light, just some sandwiches. Did you want anything special on yours?" Bulma asked, going over to the refrigerator and opening it up, ready to take out all the things that Goten said.

Goten smiled and put a finger to his chin, looking up as if deep in thought, "Hmm, I want ten peanut butter and jelly ones, ten with bologna and mayonnaise, five of those you can put cheese on!" he giggled and thought some more, "And ten more with peanut butter and bananas!"

About time he got done saying all this, Bulma already had everything out on the counter, ready to be made.

"All right-y, that's thirty sandwiches for you, multiply that by three, and that leaves me to make ninety sandwiches," she nodded and began taking out bread, also getting a butter knife.

"Yea!" Goten yelled, jumping up and down before Trunks came running in, knocking him to the ground, but also falling over in the process.

Goten made a "oomph!" sound as he hit the floor, catching himself with his hands just as his head was about to smack. He turned himself around and sat in the middle of the floor, eyes narrowed as he glared at Trunks, "Hey, that wasn't very nice!"

Trunks just laughed and pointed at the younger boy in mockery, though he himself was still on the floor also, "It wasn't supposed to be nice!" He stood up and crossed his arms, turning his back towards Goten, "Besides, it's your fault for being in my way."

"Trunks, be nice," Bulma said matter-of-factly, hardly paying attention to them at all anyway. By this time, she had about twenty-five sandwiches down, the pile growing off to the side.

The lavender hair-ed child just humph-ed and sat in a chair at the table, waiting to be fed. 

Gohan then came into the kitchen, stretching and yawning loudly.

Bulma smiled, "Good afternoon, Gohan. Or should I say good morning?"

He returned the smile and stood next to Goten, putting his hand atop his head, "Anyway is fine."

She nodded, adding another twenty sandwiches to the pile, "Well, I hope you're hungry, 'cause there's a lot of sandwiches to go around."

Gohan walked over to her, looking over her shoulder to see what kinds she was making and his smile grew wider, "They look tasty, Bulma! Oh, and that reminds me, would it be okay if I take Trunks and Goten to the woods for a picnic? I saw that it was a nice day out and figured they would have fun outside."

Another ten sandwiches done, "Of course, Gohan, do whatever you want. It'll get those two outta my hair for awhile," she joked.

He laughed and turned back to the younger boys, "How 'bout it? Wanna go?"

"Yeah!" both of them screamed at once, eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Cool," he said, going to the other side of the kitchen and opening a bottom cupboard, pulling out a ridiculously over-sized picnic basket and putting it on the counter. "This should be able to hold everything." Gohan began grabbing the sandwiches and entering them into the basket while Goten and Trunks were busy taking out cans of soda.

Bulma put the last two pieces of bread together and added it to the basket, "There, all finished."

Gohan closed the basket once the two younger ones were done putting the soda in the other side, running out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"Hurry up, Gohan!" Trunks yelled.

"Yeah, we wanna go!" Goten added, the door was heard opening in the mean time.

Gohan chuckled and looked to Bulma, "Guess we'll see you in a little bit, okay?"

Bulma nodded, pressing her back against the counter, "Yep and be careful. Now shoo! Go away!" she waved her hands, telling him to get going.

"Right!" Gohan turned around and ran into the living room also, the excited voices from Goten and Trunks disappearing as the door was closed behind them.

She smiled before lifting her arms up in the air and spinning in two complete circles, "Yes! I got the whole house to myself!" She giggled as her childish-self came out suddenly, "Now, what should I do? Work on one of my projects? …Nah!"

Turning back to the counter, she made one more sandwich for herself and looked up at the clock, "Hmm…ninety-one sandwiches within seven minutes…I'm getting pretty good if I do say so myself!" She took a bite into her sandwich, walking into the living room and plopping down on the couch, looking around the room at what she could do, she spotted her romance novel laying on the coffee table in front of her and picked it up. She turned it to the back and read the summery for it out loud.

"Shiori, a beautiful young woman who is loved by many, was abruptly abandoned by her husband. Just when she thought her life was settling down with her twin daughters, she is left alone with no one. She loses hope in everything, the only thing keeping her alive is her love for her children. But when her best friend from the past, Takeru, shows up suddenly, can things change around for her? Will their friendship be able to be turned into something more? Find out in this dramatic tale of _Losing Hope_!"

Bulma turned back to the front and shrugged, taking another bite into her sandwich, "Doesn't sound half bad." She opened it the first page and began reading…

**********

She felt tears well up in her eyes. _Don't let him get away, you idiot! _She screamed to the book in her head, reading anxiously as she passed the part up where Shiori's husband was leaving her. Of course…she let him get away.

Bulma groaned in frustration, laying the book on her lap after marking the page she left off on, "I can't believe she just stood there…if she would've said something, he wouldn't have left!"

She shook her head, very disappointed in the character. She dropped the book down on the coffee table, standing up to stretch. She was just about to walk into the kitchen again when she heard a loud knock at her door.

Stopping, she turned around and headed the other way again, "Now who could that be?"

She opened the door wide and stood in the doorway, facing her visitor.

"Hey, Bulma!" A rich, innocent laughter was followed as the man closed his eyes joyfully and waved, "How you doing?"

Her eyes got wide as she looked on at the guy in front of her, "…Goku?"

Another chapter done! ::Congratulates self:: And it wasn't another four months for this update. ^_^ Thank you everyone that reviewed and please review this chappie, okay? =)


	4. Reunited

**__**

Just One Week

IV.

I was surprised, to say the least. But then again…who wouldn't be? I mean, it's not everyday your best friend comes back from the dead after four years, now is it?! At first, I don't even think I believed it was him. My mind quickly averted to the fact that Goten got a hold of one of my inventions and made himself older…though I don't remember making an invention like that, but who knows. I've made so many, it isn't hard to lose track of them.

But back on the subject at hand…it was actually Goku! Let me emphasize that…GOKU! I could not believe it! I think thirty years from now I'll still have a hard time believing it. Then again, who's to say that that's the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me? When talking about my life, that would be a hard call.

If Goku wasn't so energetic all the time…I'm sure we would have just stood there and stared at each other for a couple of hours…not knowing what to do except say "hi" continuously.

That wouldn't be so bad though…we would just be making up for the lost time we didn't get to say hello to each other, right? Right.

Before Bulma could get another thought out, she was being wrapped up in strong, muscular arms. She blinked a couple of times before she realized Goku was hugging her, still laughing joyously in her ear. She made no attempt to hug him back, though she didn't have a choice one way or the other, since Goku had her arms trapped to her sides.

"Goku?" she couldn't help but ask again.

__

Of course it's Goku, you dimwit! She scolded herself. _You're only wrapped up in his arms here!_

Goku pulled back, but still held onto her shoulders to look at her, that innocent smile never failing his face. She watched as his smile turned into a mischievous grin that had her heart pound faster and felt his hands squeeze her shoulders lightly that made her stomach do a happy flip.

__

Oh yeah, it's him all right!

A smile finally came over her features, making her give an overwhelming squeal. She stepped closer, this time enforcing the hug upon him.

"Goku, is it really you?" She asked, but only gave him a chance to chuckle before she went on, "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" she let go of him slightly, looking up to see a halo over his head, "Well, I see you still are, but what are you doing here? I mean, is it possible?" 

Shaking her head stupidly, she stepped away from him to give him his space and hit her palm against her forehead, "Okay, that was a stupid question. If it wasn't possible, you wouldn't be here, right? So…" the smile came back to her face, "How have you been?"

He blinked at her a couple of times before putting his hand behind his head and giving a sheepish look, "Umm, what was that first question again?"

Bulma, in turn, blinked at him. _What _was _the first question? Er—… _

"How about you just come in and we can talk?" She said, stepping to the side to open the door more and let him enter.

His grin returned and he nodded as he stepped inside, "Got any food?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile at the same time. _Same old Goku… _Closing the door, she followed him into the kitchen, which was the room he seemed to remember, and went to the counter where she last talked to Gohan, "I just made the boys sandwiches, do you want some, too?"

"Yeah, sounds good." He answered, sitting down at the table and looking around to see the changes she did in the last four years.

Bulma nodded and repeated the routine she did just earlier that day. Once again, she got done making thirty-one sandwiches in record time, setting them on the table in front of Goku before she knew it…also taking one for herself, of course. She sat down across from him, watching as he inhaled his food.

"So tell me…" Bulma began, deciding to make conversation, "What are you doing here?"

Goku ate a couple more sandwiches before taking a breather and averted his attention to her, "Well, I was just training when Baba came up to me and asked me if I wanted to go back to Earth for a week to see all my friends again." He ate two more sandwiches. 

"Ohhh…" Bulma nodded slowly, taking it all in, "You can only stay for a week?"

"Yeah," Goku shrugged, finishing off his food, "But it's better than nothing, right? So anyway, I agreed immediately, totally psyche-ed about the whole thing. I kept thinking about who I was gonna visit first, what they would think, and what I would do with this week. I'm gonna make it as worth while as I possibly can!"

Bulma gave a skeptical look, "And…who did you visit first?"

"You, of course." Goku answered, leaning back on the chair, "I'll have time to see everyone else later, and I want to save Chi and Gohan for last. They'll probably want me around them most of the time anyway." 

At that moment, she felt a million sweat drops invade her body.

__

You mean he doesn't know!? Oh man, this can't be good…

She bit her bottom lip, "Goku…?"

"Huh?" he asked, sitting upright in his chair again, hearing the sudden nervousness in her voice.

Looking down at her sandwich, she dropped it to the table, completely loosing her appetite. Tons of thoughts whirled through her head. Should she tell him straight out? Or go around it…tell him how it happened, why it happened, and when it happened? Or could she just let him find out for himself? No, she wouldn't…she couldn't…do that to him.

Her eyes shot back up to him, ignoring his confused look.

"We need to talk."

"About?" Goku asked, leaning forward, anxious for her to go on.

Bulma shook her head and nodded her head towards the living room before standing up and walking out of the kitchen, "In here."

He quickly got up and followed her, question marks popping up over his head (not literally). Once he saw that she sat down on one end of the couch, he sat down in the middle, turning to face her and giving her his full attention.

"Now what's with the serious look, Bulma? It can't be that bad, can it?"

Bulma sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, "Yes…yes it can be." She stated plainly, hating what she was about to say.

__

You have _to do this…its better he finds out from you than anyone else…_

"Goku, after you died, things went way out of whack. Things weren't going the way they were supposed to and nothing was going back to normal." Bulma figured that was the best way to start it. She didn't know why, she just felt she had to lead up to the "situation", instead of just blurting it out and leaving him clue less on all the rest. Seeing that he was giving her a look that obviously said "go on", she decided to continue.

"Well, let me begin on the day you did die. I was waiting around for someone to come in here and tell me what happened, when finally Vegeta did. Now that I think about it…" she looked down at her hands that were in her lap, "I wish he hadn't." Sucking in a breath, she looked back up at him, determined not to cry, "Four years ago, Vegeta left me."

Goku's eyes got wide as he stared at her in shock, "What? But…what about Trunks?"

Bulma shrugged and tried to smile, "I asked the same thing, but…" she shook her head, "He wouldn't listen to me. He did inform me that you died though and after he left, I called your house to see how Chi-Chi and Gohan were doing, but there wasn't an answer…"

She clenched her fists tightly. She thought she would never have to remember these events long enough to have to tell them in a story. It was such a bad time…

"I'm sorry, Goku, I'm gonna have to put this simply. I went to your home and I saw that…Chi-Chi was going crazy. I tried to settle her down, but it was like her mind was somewhere else. She told me something important…she was…pregnant."

Bulma bit her lip again, taking a pause in her speech to let Goku sink all this information in.

He only blinked, "…pregnant?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I guess she never got the chance to tell you. But she shouldn't have done what she did."

__

This is it, Bulma…tell him before you lose your nerve…

"She didn't take care of herself. She stopped eating and socializing. She began to isolate herself and hurt her body…along with Gohan and the baby she was pregnant with. Eventually, when it came time to have her baby, the pressure was too much and she…"

Goku finally got the point she was about to make and it was such a shock, it even made him gasp. She watched as his face distorted through all types of emotions: confused, angry, disgusted, depressed…it was endless.

"Goku…" she moved herself closer to him and grabbed his hands into hers, giving them a slight squeeze in order to comfort him, though she knew there wasn't much she could do.

"Chi-Chi…is…" was all he got out before his eyes looked right into hers and she suddenly saw all the sadness in them.

__

Oh great, look what you've gone and done. He comes back from the dead for a week to enjoy himself and the first thing you have to do is tell him his wife killed herself. Real smart move…

"Goku, I'm so sorry. I tried to do something but…" she began before she was cut off.

He shook his head, "Don't be sorry, Bulma…there was nothing you could've done. Chi-Chi is one of the most stubborn people I know and…if she didn't want someone to get through to her, she made sure they didn't."

Bulma only nodded, "But…why wouldn't you have already known that she was gone? Wouldn't you have seen her in the afterlife or something?"

Goku tried to give a good smirk, "No, don't you remember? She wasn't a fighter, so she wasn't able to keep her body. She went somewhere completely different from where I was."

"Oh, yeah," she blushed, embarrassed that he remembered something that important and she didn't.

"But…" Goku went on, all his questions not answered, "What happened to Gohan? And the baby Chi was pregnant with?"

Bulma smiled a bit, happy they were on a different, more happy, subject, "Oh, they're fine. Right before Chi-Chi passed away, she asked me to take care of them, so I brought them in as my own. They're really sweet, they help around a lot…they remind me of you everyday." Bulma said this, rubbing her thumb across the top of his hand, yet not noticing she was still even holding his hands.

A big smile also came to his face as he laughed happily, "That's great! Gohan should be…what, sixteen now?"

She nodded, "Yep, and your other son, Goten, is four, of course."

"Another son, huh?" he grinned, "What's he look like?"

"You." She said simply, "In and out, he's everything like you, Goku."

He opened his mouth to say something more, but before he could get anything out, they both heard the door open and the laughing of three boys.

"We're home!" Gohan called, stepping in behind the two younger boys, but stopped when he noticed that they were both just standing in the doorway, looking confused. He gave a dumbfounded look before raising his eyes to meet with what Goten and Trunks already spotted.

"Whoa!" was the first thing he got out as he dropped the picnic basket to the floor, his eyes going wide, "Dad?"

Goku's grin returned as he slipped his hands out of Bulma's and stood up. He put his hands on his hips after giving a short wave, "Hey Gohan, how've you been?"

"I…I…" Gohan kept stuttering before finally giving a smile that matched that of his fathers and ran around the kids, getting to him and stopping right in front of him. Because of the years, Gohan was now as tall as Goku, so they could meet eye to eye, "Dad, is it really you? What are you doing here?!"

Bulma laughed and stood up also, "Those are the popular questions for you, Goku, get used to them."

Goku smiled back at her before turning his attention back to Gohan, "Baba offered me a free week back on Earth. So you're stuck with me for a whole week!"

"That's great, Dad, I—," he stopped when he heard a whispered "Mommy?". He looked over to Bulma and saw that Goten and Trunks were right beside her, but looking up at Goku.

"Mommy, who is that?" Goten asked, tugging lightly on her shirt.

She smiled down at him, running her fingers through his messy hair, "That's your Daddy. Do you want to say hello?"

He only shrugged, his big eyes never leaving his dad. Goku's smile grew wider when he saw him.

__

He really does look like me…

Goku kneeled down in front of Goten, happy that the boy didn't back away from him.

"Hi, I'm Goku. You're Goten?" he asked, noticing that it was like looking into a mirror. Except this mirror would just make the object younger.

Goten nodded, letting go of Bulma's shirt and putting his hands behind his back, a slight blush coming over his face as he got into one of his "shy moments".

"Hey, Mom," Trunks then asked, crossing his arms across his chest, "Is this my dad, too?"

Bulma blinked down at him before looking back at Goku, then back down at Trunks, "Well…he…we…it's like—."

"Hi, Trunks," Goku cut in, walking over to Trunks and put his hand on top of his head, "It's been awhile. I haven't seen you since you were one."

Trunks raised an eyebrow in interest, "You knew me when I was one?"

"Uh-huh! And you sure have grown up," Goku commented, standing straight up again.

"It sure is gonna be great having you around again, Dad," Gohan said, stepping forward.

All eyes turned towards Gohan. Bulma and Goku both knew that Goku coming back would affect him the most, since he's the one that had to watch him die, along with his mother, and live with those memories. Having his dad back, even if just for one week, was a prize all in its own.

Goku smiled again and put a hand on his eldest son's shoulder, "And it's great being back."

Bulma smiled at the scene, also watching as Goten stepped forward and wrapped his small hand into Goku's free hand, smiling that ridiculous smile. Trunks even stood in front of him, looking up at him and smirking.

"We're gonna have a lot of fun, Daddy," Goten said, chuckling a little.

__

Daddy…already calling him Daddy and they just met. Bulma smirked unconsciously. _And they call me Mommy…_

Yes…this shall prove to be quite an interesting week…

YAY! Done with this chapter! Sorry it's so much shorter than the others, this is mostly just meant to be a reunion one, sorta like. I hope you liked it anyway…I WAS SO VERY, VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT MY REVIEWS WENT UP!!!! Lol! If you look, I actually posted this story back in August, but didn't feel like updating 'cause I only got 8 reviews on chapter one. I know, I know, I shouldn't complain about that, but…I dunno, guess I was just hoping better for this story, know what I mean? But now!! Now I have four chapters and almost 40 reviews! You have no clue how happy you have made me. ^^ Thank you all so much!


	5. Day One: Something There?

**__**

Just One Week

V.

And that's exactly how it happened and everything started out. Out of all of it, I'm just glad Goten and Trunks accepted him so well. I knew right off the bat that Gohan would be delighted, but the other two could be pretty ignorant if they wanted to. More Trunks than Goten, but since my son is older, well…you get the idea.

Since Goku was so eager to meet everyone else, I let him go without arguing. Of course, the three boys went with him, too ("Just in case he forgot his way around."). When he later came back, he told me some very interesting news. First off, he said he went to go see Yamcha, but since he doesn't live around here anymore, he didn't have the greatest luck. I could have told him that.

But the part I found…interesting, to say the least, was what he had to say about Krillin. Turns out Krillin and Android 18 got married and was just blessed with a baby girl they named Maron. Isn't that Krillin's old girlfriend's name? …Whatever then. None of my business there. They also live with Master Roshi on his little island (another…different idea), Goku saw him, also. Guess those were all the people Goku saw, or could think of, for he did come back pretty early. Our group keeps dwindling down!

Other than that, I told Gohan he could stay home from school for the week his dad would be back. He's a smart kid, so a week won't hurt him, besides…who am I to keep him away from seeing his dad six hours each day?

So day one continues…Sunday.

* * * * * * * *

Bulma opened and closed cabinets that were located all over the kitchen, "What to have for supper, what to have…" she kept repeating this line as she looked at all the food she kept…well…everywhere.

Finally, she stopped in the middle of the kitchen floor and put her index finger to her chin to thoroughly think it over.

"Now…what would be something special for this occasion?" Fortunately, it didn't take her more than two seconds to come up with that answer.

"Pizza."

She picked up the phone that hung on the wall and ordered fifteen twelve-cut pizzas. The pizza place was surprised, to say the least…she usually only orders ten twelve-cuts!

Luck was on her side, for as soon as the guys came back, the pizza arrived, so she didn't have to listen to any complaints of being hungry.

"So did you boys have fun?" Bulma asked, as Goku, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks all sat at the kitchen table, seemingly to have a race of whom could eat the most in the shortest amount of time.

Goten was the first to speak up, "Uh-huh!" Even though his mouth was full, it wasn't that hard to understand him, "After we went to see peoples, Daddy taught us some martial arts! Gohan teaches us some, but he's not as good."

Suddenly, Gohan choked on his pizza, punching his fist into his chest to breathe again. Once he was settled, he sent his little brother a glare, "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

Everyone, excluding Gohan, laughed at this, before quickly dismissing the subject and going back to the pizza.

About ten minutes later, everyone was done and holding their stomachs, indicating that they were very well full. The first one to yawn was Goten, whose eyes were also dropping.

"I'm tired now…" he said, his eyes closing slowly, but opening again very quickly, only to droop back down the same way.

"You're a big baby," Trunks commented, but gave a big yawn himself. This was always how it went…Trunks was always tired after dinner, just like Goten, but he would never admit it. He would go upstairs with Goten and Bulma, moaning and groaning all the way, often mumbling things like "Man…why do I have to go to bed?" or "I'm not tired…the kid is." But no matter what, as soon as he got under the covers, he was fast asleep and stayed that way for about two hours.

Bulma stood up from the table and went around it to where Goten was sitting, "Want me to take you up, honey?"

He only nodded and held his arms up, letting Bulma grab him from under his armpits and lift him up, resting him on her hip with her one arm around him. He laid his head on her shoulder and seemed to already be asleep. She held out her free hand for Trunks and he slowly took it, hopping off the chair. They headed for the living room.

Before they exited, Bulma turned her head around to take a quick glance at Goku and Gohan, "I'll be right back, just gonna get these two to bed."

Goku smiled at her and kept on smiling even when he heard her going up the stairs. He turned back to Gohan, who was now throwing the pizza boxes away and getting a wet washcloth to clean the table.

"Wow Gohan, you seem to be a big help around here," Goku said, leaning back on his chair so only the two back legs stood on the floor.

"Yeah, well…" he paused for a moment as he slowly ran the cloth over the tabletop, "Bulma deserves all the help she can get, plus I think she needs it."

Goku put his chair back down and stood up, standing beside Gohan before putting his hand on his shoulder, making Gohan stop what he was doing, "That's great, Gohan, I'm really proud of you."

Gohan gave a small, forced smile, "Thanks, Dad…" and as this was said in a low whisper, Goku's eyebrows went up to give a sympathetic look.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" he asked, never leaving his hand from his son's shoulder.

Though Goku was expecting Gohan to pause and seem reluctant to speak, Gohan decided to do the complete opposite as he dropped the washcloth and turned towards his dad and began speaking immediately, "Dad, why didn't you come back? Couldn't you have somehow knew that Mom was gonna die so you could make it right? I know what you did was for the good of the world, but what about your family? What about…everyone?"

Gohan paused in his speech, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Goku's expression never changed, but he knew that Gohan would ask him these questions sometime or another during his week on Earth.

Shaking his head, Gohan averted his eyes to the floor, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—."

"It's okay, Son. You went through a lot. You have a right to ask me all these questions that…I have no good answer for," Goku shook his head this time, "I swear to you, Gohan…if I knew any of this was going to happen, I would've thought twice of my decision."

Hearing this, Gohan looked back at his dad and gave a smile, nodding a bit, "I know that…I'm just glad Bulma was there. Without her…I don't know what I would've done."

Goku gave a short chuckle and tilted his head towards the living room, knowing Bulma was now standing out there, "That's for sure. Bulma's a wonderful person, though she doesn't show it sometimes."

"Yeah. Everyday that I wake up here, I keep thinking of things I could do for her to repay her for what she's done for Goten and I. But so far…nothing seems good enough," Gohan was completely oblivious of Bulma standing in the other room, for he was so caught up in his thoughts.

Goku turned away and began walking very silently to the other room, "I'm sure just seeing you everyday is good enough for her," he said, making his voice lower until he was up against the wall in the kitchen, right next to the doorway.

Gohan blinked a couple of times, wondering what he was doing, but then felt Bulma in the next room also and smirked. He knew what his dad was planning, so he just shook his head and wiped the table a few more times.

Bulma, hearing that they were done talking, stood up straight from having been crouched over a bit to listen better, and began to walk back into the kitchen. She opened her mouth to say that the boys were in bed, but before she got that far, Goku suddenly jumped in front of her, yelling with his thumbs on both sides of his head and his fingers wiggling and his tongue hanging out.

Seeing him pop out from nowhere, she screamed and turned around quickly to flee back into the living room, but Goku caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up, turning around to walk her into the kitchen.

Bulma wiggled a bit, trying to get her arms free that were locked to her sides, but to no avail.

"Look Gohan! I caught a spy!" Goku exclaimed, chuckling at the strength Bulma was trying to use to get free.

Gohan looked up and saw this, throwing the now dirty washcloth across the room, making it land perfect over Bulma's face.

"Ew, Gohan, this is disgusting!" Bulma commented, throwing her head forward to make the cloth fall to the floor.

He laughed good-heartedly walking over to the two.

Bulma smiled suddenly, giving a break to were squiggling, "Gohan, you're going to save me!"

"Huh?" he asked, now walking past them, "No, I was just gonna go up to my room and study for some of my finals I'm having next week. Since I'm not gonna be in school this week, I'm going to miss the reviews, and I really don't want to fail all my finals," Gohan shined a grin at Bulma, "Good luck though."

And he was gone.

It took her a couple seconds to register that Gohan completely abandoned her, before she began wiggling again, "Goku, lemmie go!"

He chuckled again and carried her into the living room, depositing her on the couch, "Now no more eavesdropping, you hear?" he grinned and sat on the couch himself, "It's not very healthy at all."

Bulma sent him a glare and crossed her arms over her chest, "I can do whatever I want!"

"I'm sure you can," Goku responded, "what's new?"

She happened to catch that right off the bat and reached over to punch him in the arm with all she had, though it only made him laugh more, "Hey! My first day back and I'm already getting abused?!"

"Yes!" Bulma exclaimed, sitting back against the couch and crossing her arms again.

Deciding to just ignore that answer, he looked up the stairs before looking back at her, "So what time do those two wake up?"

Forgetting their little "argument", she uncrossed her arms and looked at the TV clock, "Well, they usually sleep for about an hour-and-a-half, so they should get up at six-thirty. Then they'll wear themselves out so much, they'll be ready to go to sleep again at ten."

Goku nodded, "Sounds reasonable." He gave her a side glance before reaching out for her hand, quite the exact same thing she had done earlier with him, "Bulma, even though you already heard me saying this, I really am grateful that you took in my two sons for Chi-Chi and I. You don't know how much it means…"

Bulma blinked, not used to hearing Goku sound this serious too often. Sure, it's been four years, but Goku is not a person that you can meet and forget about easily. She looked down at their hands and realized how good it felt to touch him again. It finally began to really sink in that he was back and here to spend the rest of the week with her. Looking back up at him, she gave a smile, "It was the least I could do, Goku, really…"

He gave a lopsided grin, "Sure," then without any other warning, he pulled her to him to give a warm embrace. 

Bulma couldn't help but gasp from the sudden contact, then blushed, quickly embarrassed from it. 

__

It's just Goku for Kami's sake! I've hugged him millions of times! …Maybe it's just the moment…

Slowly, Bulma raised her arms up to hug him back, gently rubbing his upper arm. She smiled happily…yes, she hasn't felt this happy in quite awhile, "Your welcome, Goku."

"Hey, Dad, I…er…" Gohan was coming back down the stairs when he suddenly saw the two hugging, "Umm, sorry…didn't mean to interrupt anything."

The two separated, Bulma still blushing, but Goku not even giving it a second thought, "No, it's okay Gohan, what do you want?" Goku wasn't about to say anything, but he did catch Bulma's gasp, along with her never endless blush. What was up with her? When he was younger, she used to do that all the time, but it wasn't like he knew exactly why she did it. But now that he was older, he knew that it usually meant from embarrassment or affection not wanting to get out. Did that have a significant meaning though?

"Nothing really," Gohan interrupted his thoughts, "Just wanted to tell you goodnight. I don't know how long I'll be studying and what time you guys are going to bed, so…"

"Oh, okay, that's fine Gohan," Goku said.

"'Night," they both said in unison.

Gohan nodded and went back upstairs before Goku turned back to Bulma, "So he never dropped his study habit that Chi-Chi put him into, eh?"

Bulma giggled a bit and shook her head, "Nope, for awhile, that's all he would do in his free time. So I finally decided to send him to Orange Star High School where he could meet some friends. And sure enough, he did." She paused and grinned, leaning in closer to him to say it in a lower voice, "I think he even has a girlfriend."

Goku blinked this time, "Really?" he returned her grin, "Wow, go Gohan!"

She nodded and put her cheek in her palm, getting a dreamy look on her face, "It's so sweet. I remember when I was sixteen and in love." She sighed contentedly, "What great times."

"They were…always on a search for the dragon balls. Nothing beat that," Goku commented, going into his own little flashback.

"You can say that again," Bulma looked at him normally and pictured him as a little kid again. He was so young and…free. Then he got married to Chi-Chi and it seemed like they stopped seeing each other as much as they used to. He couldn't even be gone for an hour more than what he said he would be to her, or she would flip out. She knew Chi-Chi meant well, but…she could've done better, nonetheless.

"'Member all those times I had to fight the Red Ribbon Army?" 

And that was the question that began a multiple hour reminisce of the old days. Around the time Bulma said that Goten and Trunks would get up, sure enough, they did, and instead of running all around the house, they sat in between Goku and Bulma and listened intently to all the adventures they went through when they were younger. In fact, they were so quiet, Gohan had to come down and see if everything was all right. That was when Gohan joined their little story-telling group. He remembered hearing most of the stories before, but they were still interesting, especially after four long years.

**********

Before anyone knew it, it was eleven at night and Goten and Trunks were again asleep from the long bedtime story and Gohan's eyes obviously said that he was tired also.

"Think we should take them up to bed?" Bulma asked, brushing some hair back that fell in front of Trunks' face.

"Yep," Goku answered, standing up and picking Goten up, carrying him upstairs, while Bulma carried Trunks, then Gohan walked up behind the group.

"G'night again," Gohan said, going into his room and closing the door.

"Where's their room?" Goku asked, but instead of answering, Bulma walked past him and into the room that was about two rooms down from Gohan's, on the opposite side of the hall. He followed her and saw that there were two beds. Laying Goten down on the bed that Trunks wasn't occupying, he covered him up and ran his hand back through his youngest son's hair.

When he looked up from staring at his sleeping son, he noticed Bulma was staring at _him, _smiling her genuine Bulma smile.

He grinned back, "What?"

She shook her head and exited the room, going down the hall a little more, Goku again following her. She entered the room that was on the same side of the hall that Trunks and Goten's room was on and when Goku walked in also, he realized that it was a free guest room and most likely, his room for the week.

"Here's your room," Bulma said, turning back around to look at him, "Sorry it's nothing special, but all of us are together, so I figured you didn't want to be on the opposite side of the building."

He shrugged, "This is fine. It has a bed and bathroom. All I need."

"Yeah, so…goodnight Goku, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Bulma said, heading towards the door backwards.

He nodded, "Uh-huh. Oh, and Bulma?"

"Hmm?" She stopped in the doorway.

"Thanks again."

Bulma closed her eyes, smiling. She opened her eyes slowly and Goku could've sworn that he saw something in them that explained more than anyone ever could…

"Anything for you, Goku."

And that wraps up this chapter! Now since I'm one chapter 5, I decided to stop and answer some previous questions from people.

****

King Darkness- As you have read, Bulma has said that Gohan has a girlfriend. Well, you know how they are, I don't think they're going out yet, but I'll try my best to add Videl in there for ya, okay? ^^

Any many people have been asking if I'm gonna bring Vegeta back. In my opinion, I think if Vegeta says he's going to leave and never come back…he's going to leave and never come back. But **Secretsquirl** gave me a little idea. She happened to mention that Vegeta could possibly sense his ki from wherever he is and come back to see if Goku really is on Earth. But about time he gets back, the week should be up. ::begins thinking of a plot:: Heheheh…


	6. Day Two: Yep, Something There

**__**

Just One Week

VI.

Our first day together complete. Okay, even though it has only been one day, is it just me or is time flying faster than usual? It probably is, I mean…one free week isn't going to last forever. Maybe I should invent something that could keep repeating whatever time you enter, so it's possible to live forever in a week. …Nah, I'm not about to waste the week Goku really is here on building something, especially if it were to not work. Not that I have any doubts that it will work, mind you. But that's not the point.

The point is Goku himself. I can feel myself wanting to be around him. Wanting to feel him close to me. Wanting to be able to spend every waking and non-waking moment with him! Do I sound like I'm going crazy? Maybe I am…after all; it's Goku, my best friend! Maybe it's because I haven't exactly been around a man I want to be around in the longest time, my heart and body are calling out to him.

Wait, did I just say what I think I did? I don't think I'm…dare I say…in love with Goku. I'm sure it's just a short fluctuation thing. A short fluctuation thing that has lasted since I was sixteen. That isn't that long ago…is it?

Okay, okay, I admit it! I do feel more for him than I let on. Maybe he can tell too…I did spot him giving me weird looks every one in awhile. But I can't do anything! I'm sure he wants to spend three-fourths of his time with the boys, and _I'm sure he's still not used to living a life on Earth without Chi-Chi, _and _he's only going to be here for one week!_

Yep, I'm going crazy.

Day two…Monday.

* * * * * * * *

"Too early in the morning…too, too early in the morning," Goku mumbled, having just woken up and spotted the clock beside his bed that read eight forty-six. He yawned loudly, throwing the covers off his body and, being he was only wearing blue boxers, he shivered lightly. The coldness was soon forgotten, however, once his stomach growled.

He put a hand over his stomach, looking down at it inquisitively, "You hungry, Tummy?" A smile came over his face as he walked towards his door, out into the hallway, "Me, too!"

Once he was fully out of his room, he spotted Goten, whose back was towards him. He was walking on his tiptoes, being extra careful as he quietly walked down the hall, seemingly heading towards the stairs.

Curiosity overtook Goku as he silently tiptoed behind Goten, wondering what he was going to do. Once Goten got within ten feet from the stairs, Goku leaned down to his son's level, putting his head right beside Goten's ear.

"What are you doing?" Goku asked, earning him a front row seat to see how people really react when they're frightened.

Instead of screaming, Goten jumped about five feet in the air, doing a flip over himself, and landing with a _thud _on his bottom, staring dizzyingly and wide-eyed up at his dad.

Goku stood straight up, putting his hands on his hips, and letting out a good-hearted laugh. Goten shook his head to get focused again, still seeming a bit confused on what happened. He picked himself up so he was once again standing on his feet, "…What? What am I doing? I'm uhh…just going downstairs to get somethin' to eat." He put his hand over his stomach, "Hungry."

"What a coincidence," Goku commented, copying his motions, "I am, too. So how 'bout we go down and see what we can find, hm?"

Goten nodded, but instead of running down the steps, he ran back down the hall to Bulma's room, "But Mommy's always said to wake her up when I wanted something." Was what he said before he opened her door and disappeared inside the room.

Raising an eyebrow, Goku wasn't even going to bother asking why Goten was heading down the steps a minute earlier without telling Bulma. He smirked, figuring he was just trying to be sneaky. He followed the little boy inside the room, spotting a bed in the middle with a sleeping Bulma placed in the center of it.

The soft thuds of Goten's feet smacking against the carpet was heard in the silence as he circled around the bed and reached out with small hands to shake Bulma's shoulders, "Mommy…wake up, I'm hungry." Goten commanded in a pleading voice, shaking her even harder when she didn't budge.

Bulma moaned a bit, stretching out her arms, saying incoherent words…then turning the other way and falling back asleep. This didn't seem to faze Goten any as he rounded to the end of the bed again, pulling himself up on its high stand, and began jumping on the bed. Still didn't convince Bulma.

Goku grinned, walking over to the bed himself, "Wow, Bulma's a pretty deep sleeper," he commented, sitting on the side of the bed her back was towards. He leaned over, looking at the side of her face as he looked down on her profile.

Her fine, blue hair covered her face, making him gently push it back, revealing her face and neck. He smiled, seeing her snuggle into her pillow more. Goku was soon bounced from his spot as Goten jumped closer to them, trying to shake the bed as much as he could.

Finally getting to her, Bulma squeezed her eyes shut tighter and rolled over to her back, again stretching her arms out to the sides, but stopping abruptly when her right arm hit something beside her. Slowly squinting her eyes open, she turned her head to see Goku staring down at her, grinning playfully.

"'Bout time you woke up," Goku said, grabbing her wrist and shaking it wildly, "Now we just need to get you out of bed."

To show what Goku meant by "we", Goten fell down beside Bulma, crawling over closer to her, and looking down at her with the same look Goku had, "Yeah, we're hungry and you need to make us something yummy."

Bulma raised her eyebrows, "Oh, do I now?" she asked before sitting up and flipping Goten over to his back, pinning him down. A smile crossed her face as she began tickling his stomach, making loud giggles ring throughout the room. Goten tried his best to cover his stomach or roll over, but it was quite apparent that he had low defenses when he was being tickled.

"Daddy, help me!" Goten managed to squeal out, now trying to push himself down.

Goku chuckled, waving his hands in front of his face, "No way! I'm not getting involved in this battle!" He stood up from the bed, deciding to watch the tickling fight from there.

"What's with all the noise?" came a voice from the doorway.

This made everyone look; only to see Trunks, with his hair messed up and his right hand balled up in a fist to rub the sleepiness from his eye.

"Trunks! Help me, you're my only hope!" Goten screamed, wiggling around more and more.

Trunks saw what was going on and a big smile overcame his features. He let out a warrior scream and ran over to the bed, jumping up as high as he could to land on his mother's back. But unfortunately, since his aim was a little off, he only landed on half her back, making him bounce off, onto the bed, then bounce again, making him fly right to the floor.

__

Boom!

"…Ow," came the painful sound from the boy on the floor.

Bulma blinked, looking at the spot on the bed that Trunks disappeared from, giving Goten the chance to wiggle out from under her. He didn't realize how close to the end of the bed he was, however, for he rolled right off the bed from the other side.

Goku looked down at his feet to see Goten rubbing the back of his head. He smirked and looked back up at Bulma, "You lose."

She narrowed her eyes, sticking out her tongue, and then throwing a pillow at him. Of course, he caught it easily, throwing it back down at her. That action only messed up her hair more, as it was static-fied. Bulma moaned lowly, running her hand threw her hair to try to keep it down, yet was unsuccessful.

"Don't worry about it," Goku told her, his hand getting grabbed when Goten finally got himself up, "You look good when your hair's messed up." After saying that, he gave her a playful wink. 

Goten began pulling him towards the doorway with all his strength, "Come on, Daddy, I want food!" He wailed, eventually pulling him out into the hall.

The female left in the room stared blankly at the door after the comment Goku gave her. Was it a comment? Or an insult meant to sound like a comment? A smile spread across her face. No matter, she'll just take it as a comment.

"Mom, c'mon, you gotta make something," Trunks said, breaking her train of thought.

"Yeah, you better."

This made them both look towards the door again to see Gohan leaning against the doorway, arms crossed.

"What do you mean, "yeah, you better"? I don't have to do anything!" Bulma defended, pulling up the one sleeve from an old tee shirt she wore when it revealed her shoulder.

Gohan yawned, "I mean, you guys make enough noise for this early in the morning."

She shrugged, throwing the covers off her body, flipping her legs over and planting her feet on the floor, "Blame your father and brothers', not me." 

"Hey!" Trunks yelled, putting his hands on his hips, "I got woken up, too."

Bulma smirked and messed up his hair more, earning her a scowl, "Go downstairs, I'll be down after I get ready."

"Okay!" Trunks didn't have to be told twice as he ran hurriedly out of the room, his loud footsteps heard going down the stairs.

She smiled and stood up, looking towards Gohan when she realized he wasn't going anywhere. She giggled and pushed him out of the way a little, grabbing her door to shut it, "That meant you, too, Gohan."

Gohan chuckled, "Right…hey Bulma?"

"Hmm?" she asked, the door only inches from being shut between the two.

"Ever since my dad came back, you…" he shrugged, taking a step back, "you just seem to be a lot happier."

Hearing this, Bulma smiled gently, closing her eyes to see an image of Goku behind her eyelids before opening them again and looking at Gohan, "It's just great having an old friend back."

Instead of saying a response, Gohan only stared at her for awhile before turning and heading down the stairs to join the other guys.

Bulma watched him go for a few seconds, sighing to herself. She slowly shut her door to get ready for the day.

**********

"Ten pancakes, ten waffles, twenty sausages, twenty-five pieces of bacon, and fifteen pieces of toast for everyone," Bulma called out, putting four plates filled with food piled high in front of them, totally ignoring the fact that they all dug in like wild animals. She got a smaller plate for herself and ate the most politely out of all of them.

Gohan swallowed hard before speaking, "So what are we gonna do today?"

"I know!" Goten chirped up first, a fork clenched tightly in his hand, "I want Daddy to train us again! I wanna learn how to fly."

Trunks nodded enthusiastically, for once agreeing with Goten without putting in a mean comment first, "Yeah, that sounds like fun! And Mom can come too."

From this, all four pairs of eyes turned towards Bulma, making her blush slightly. She shook her head, taking a sip of her orange juice, "I don't think you want me there bothering you."

"Aww, come on, Bulma," Goku said, making her look at him, "You won't get in the way. Who knows, maybe I'll even teach you how to fly." Without waiting for her to answer, he went right back to eating the rest of his food.

A smile slowly came over her face; "Okay…I'll go."

"Yea!" Goten and Trunks both screamed, banging their fists on the table in unison, causing all the silverware on the table to shake.

"Let's go now!" Goten said, hopping off his chair with a piece of toast still in his hand.

Bulma watched him run out of the room, "Don't you think you should get dressed first, Goten?"

A pause, then he was heard heading towards the stairs, "Yeah, that's where I was going."

She let out a laugh and that's when she realized that the other three guys were also still in their nightclothes. Shaking her head, she pointed into the living room, "You three get dressed, too. I'll clean up in the meantime."

Quickly, all three of them jumped up from the table and ran out of the room.

"I'll beat all of you!" Trunks exclaimed.

"That's what you think! I'll be back down before any of you can say toothbrush!" Gohan called back.

"Toothbrush!" came Goku's voice before all of them were upstairs.

Bulma only shook her head and put all the dishes in the dishwasher, "I kinda like this arrangement…"

***********

Five minutes later, as Bulma just turned the dishwasher on, Goten walked back into the kitchen, tying his dark blue sash even tighter around his waist, "I'm ready!"

Bulma looked him up and down, "Did you brush your teeth?"

"Uh-huh."

"Wash your face?"

"Uh-huh."

"Change your underwear?"

"Uh-huh."

Finally, Bulma nodded, completely satisfied now. She picked him up and gave him a big kiss on his cheek, making him squint his one eye.

"Mom!" he whined, looking towards the door to make sure no one saw that, specifically Trunks.

"I'm gonna win!"

"No, you're two steps behind me!"

"That's what you—."

Goku, Gohan, and Trunks suddenly entered the kitchen all at once, but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Goten. Goten blinked at all of them, his big, innocent eyes full of questions.

Bulma laughed, "Looks like you all got beaten."

They were all silent for another moment before Trunks finally spoke up, "That's only 'cause he got a head start."

"Yeah," both Goku and Gohan agreed, nodding their heads.

She rolled her eyes, pushing some buttons to put the washer on automatic, "Well, let's go!"

"Right!" all four guys said at once.

***********

They all got to their destination within minutes. It was the isolated place that Gohan usually takes Goten and Trunks when they have a picnic and, Bulma guessed, where Goku had trained them a little the day before.

"Okay, let's get started then," Goku spoke up first, choosing a spot right in the center of all the trees. Once he saw all the others nod, he nodded also, "Good, now…everyone knows how to feel ki, right?"

Right away, Bulma sweat dropped, "Er…okay, that's pretty bad when I don't even have the ability for the first step. I think I'll just watch you guys."

"No, you're gonna do more than watch," Goku said, grabbing her arm before she walked away from the group. "You can do it, Bulma. You've been around us fighters almost all your life, you should have learned something." 

Bulma only shrugged, not knowing exactly how to answer that. Sure, she was a fast learner, but fighting was never one of her strong points. She always just depended on the guys to figure out if someone was coming and who it was. It wasn't like the thought crossed her mind continuously what it would be like if she could help.

"First off, let's calm our minds," Goku demanded, sitting on the grass Indian style, followed by Gohan, then Goten and Trunks. Bulma looked down at the others before sighing and sitting down in a similar position. Goku nodded in approval, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths in and out. The boys followed suit. Bulma kept her eyes opened and breathed the same. She figured she had to watch, just in case she missed something else. Besides, her mind was calm as it was. Or at least…as calm as she could make it.

This lasted for about ten minutes, when Goku finally opened his eyes, making a ball out of his fingers and putting it to his chest, "Now, focus all your energy into one little area of your body." He closed his eyes again. Once more, the boys copied him.

Bulma looked down at her hands and put her fingers together and putting it to her chest, looking at the position of the other four. They looked so relaxed and natural as they did it, but when she did it, she felt awkward and silly. Why was she, the smartest woman on Earth, sitting Indian style with four male fighters, trying to sense ki and learning how to fly?

After awhile, she felt the area begin to get warm and her eyes went wide in alarm, thinking there was a fire nearby. She was about to yell out a warning when she suddenly realized that all of them had small, bright blue ki balls swarming amidst the palms of their hands.

She felt her ears redden, thinking of what they would have said if she interrupted their deep trances.

"Okay, that's good," Goku suddenly said, making her jump out of surprise. Goku stood up, followed by the other four. "Now that we can all make energy, we're gonna put that all within the pit of our stomach and push it up. If you do it the right way, you'll feel your body lighten and your feet fly off the ground." Goku closed his eyes once again, his brows narrowing down.

Very soon, Bulma felt the wind pick up and as she looked upon her family, a swirl of wind surrounded them, seemingly lifting them into the air…while poor Bulma was still planted on the ground.

Goku opened his eyes to see the three boys also at his level. He smiled, "Very good, you guys. You can open your eyes now."

They all opened their eyes and looked down at the ground.

Goku raised an eyebrow, "Gohan…you already knew how to fly."

"Oh, yeah," Gohan laughed and put his hand behind his head, "I just wanted to go along with the others."

Goten chuckled loudly, giving him everyone's attention, "I can fly!" Quickly, he began flying in circles and higher into the air, only to dive out of the air quickly, then regain himself before he hit the ground, "Goten is a birdy, a birdy, a birdy! Goten is a birdy!" 

Seeing this, Trunks crossed his arms and shook his head, almost in shame, "Kids. They get excited by the littlest things." Yet as he said this, he flew right up into the air, getting involved in a game of tag with Goten. Gohan soon joined in when he was tagged, having to go after someone else to tag.

Goku smiled at them before looking back down at Bulma who watched everyone from the ground. He floated back down in front of her, "Why didn't you go along with the training? Maybe you could be up their playing tag, too."

She giggled, the thought sounding very silly to her, "Nah…I would fall out of the air before I knew it. I couldn't—."

"Don't say there's nothing you can't do, Bulma. Anything's possible," Goku interrupted her, a stern look on his face. However, he quickly changed it back to a smile, "Close your eyes."

Bulma blinked and blushed deeply when certain thoughts swam through her mind, "Wh-what?"

"Close your eyes," he repeated, taking her hands into his own, "I'll lead you through it. Just think of it as…personal training."

She smiled, closing her eyes. She parted her lips, already beginning to imagine what this little flying session could turn into.

"Now, just imagine floating on a cloud. Imagine flying like bird, being as free as a butterfly. Imagine the soft wind blowing through your hair…"

Maybe it was her imagination, or maybe it was real…but she could've sworn she felt Goku brush away some of her hair that got in her face. Either way, it took her breath away as she felt her body get lighter and her feet were no longer touching the ground.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked down, realizing she was floating higher and higher from the ground with each passing second. She looked back up at Goku, who was still holding her hands in his, looking down at her with his big eyes and an encouraging smile. Bulma felt a small smile come across her lips also, not being able to avert her eyes anywhere else but into his own.

"This feeling is amazing…" she commented, her eyes shining with delight.

Goku nodded slightly, "Yes, it is…"

Her smile grew. Yeah, she knew that Goku was just passing his ki into her to have her leave the ground. She was around the guys long enough to know they could do that, plus, she knew she would know if she actually got up enough power to lift herself.

About fifty feet away, Goten, Trunks, and Gohan watched on in amazement at the two adults holding hands and flying with each other.

"What are they doing?" Goten asked, his large eyes blinking multiple times.

Trunks crossed his arms, "What are you, stupid? Dad's helping Mom fly."

"Is she scared or somethin'?" Goten asked again, "She doesn't look like she wants to let go."

"I dunno, probably," Trunks answered, suddenly getting tired of watching them. He smirked and pushed Goten, making him flip over himself in the air about four times, "You're it!"

Goten laughed and flew after Trunks, determined to catch him.

Gohan watched the two kids fly in circles before looking back over at his dad and Bulma with sad eyes. He shook his head, turning away from the scene, flying lazily around.

"I hope you two know what you're doing…"

---

Sorry this chapter took longer for me to post. ^^ Guess I got a little writers block at first, but than once I started, it just flowed. Notice how this chapter's a little longer and more interesting? Lol, or maybe it's just me, I dunno. Either way, I'm really proud of this chapter. =) I hope you guys are, too. So review please! You seem to be so good at that! I love you all! ::blows kisses:: ^^;;


	7. Don't Get Hurt

**__**

Just One Week

VII.

I would say the second day went pretty well, don't you think? After all, I got trained, learned how to fly, and even got to spend a little bit more personal time with Goku. To tell the truth, I have no clue how long Goku and I were just floating there in mid air. However, I do know that I didn't mind a single moment of it. 

Goten and Trunks eventually got bored, of course, so they wanted more training. I decided to just watch on that one, considering that even if by miracle that I did make a ki blast, I would probably somehow throw it at myself. Watching the four guys was fun, nonetheless. I also loved to watch fights, so training wasn't much different, just a little slower. Sure is better than to just watch them sit there and meditate.

That's mostly how the whole day went. At one point, we all got hungry, but instead of going to a restaurant and eating like civilized people, they had to find a lake close by the area we were at and go fishing. To cook the fish, they got a bunch of sticks together and used their ki blasts to light a fire. I can't say I'm a big fan of fish, but if I didn't eat it, well…for one, my stomach would be growling like crazy, and two, Goten would give me those puppy eyes and act all sad because he would think he did something wrong. Why is it that that kid always gets to me?

Anyway, after their stomachs were satisfied, they went right back to training/sparring. Some time, Gohan came over and talked to me, figuring Goku needed to give more attention to the two younger boys.

* * * * * * * *

"Hey, Bulma," Gohan greeted as he walked over to her, sitting beside her once he reached her spot.

Bulma, who was leaning her back against the trunk of a tree, looked over at him from all the fighting going on, "Hey, yourself. Why aren't you over their training with your father?"

He gave a slight shrug of the shoulders, "Eh…I know everything he's going over and I figured you wanted someone to talk to," Gohan smirked and nudged Bulma's side with his elbow, "you look so lonely over here. Sure you don't want to come join us?"

Instead of answering right away, Bulma looked back over at Goku, Goten, and Trunks, watching as they flew all through the air. Suddenly, Trunks threw an unexpected blast at Goten, sending the youngest kid out of the sky and landing on his rear, the force also making him tumble backwards a few times. Yet he just chuckled and flew back up to Trunks and a fury of punches and kicks began flying.

"Uhh…" Bulma sweat dropped, shaking her head and looking back over to Gohan, "I'm happy right where I am."

Gohan laughed, leaning forward and touching his toes with his fingers to stretch, "So, did you enjoy flying?"

Her big, blue eyes gave a blink, a smile pulling up her lips as she thought about it, "Definitely. Even though I wasn't doing it on my own, it still felt like I was." She leaned her head back against the tree, taking a look up at Goku, watching as he observed Goten and Trunks.

He only nodded, both of them falling into a comfortable silence. Over that time, Bulma fell into a daydream. Would her and Goku form anything over the time he spent with them? Or will they just stay friends like they have all their lives?

__

How about I think of us becoming something… Bulma told her mind, a slight smile forming. _Wonder what it feels like to have his lips pressed against mine…would they be soft and loving or rough and passionate? I'm just gonna guess both. _Thinking this, she let out a small giggle.

Hearing her, Gohan's eyes went over to look at her, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. He followed her gaze and realized she was looking right at his dad. Not knowing how to take that, he cleared his throat, making her jump slightly.

"Bulma…do you think he misses my mom?" he asked suddenly, folding his legs up to sit Indian style.

She stared at him for a moment before looking down at her hands and blushing a bit, "I know he does, Gohan. And just because he doesn't show it, don't think otherwise. You know as well as I do that Goku isn't one to let things get to him too much. It would be too much stress for him, and with his personality, I don't think he would know how to deal with it. So he switches his mind to other things…"

"And what do you think those "other things" are?" he blurted out as soon as she got done answering his first question.

"Umm…" she started off, feeling her face heat up and her mind spin. What exactly was he getting at? She knew he was trying to put her on the spot, it wasn't that hard to figure out. But why? How was she supposed to know what he thought about?!

Bulma decided to just continue on, "Well…I would guess fighting for one. That was always one of his things. Along with food," she gave a short laugh, "no matter what, food has to take part in something." She paused to think, "I'm sure he thinks about you kids a lot, too. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he cares about—."

"You." Gohan interrupted before she could finish her sentence. As soon as he said it, however, he wished he hadn't as he looked away from her eyes and over at the three fighters.

Her heart skipped a beat, "Excuse me?"

Gohan sighed and finally just decided to meet her gaze, "Bulma, I know you're not stupid. I've noticed how you two have been acting around each other and I know you noticed, too. I don't know if it's just the way you guys show your friendship or not, I really don't remember. But…" Gohan was at a loss of words, what else could he say?

Bulma lowered her eyes. She suddenly felt terrible at all the things she thought of about her and Goku. Of course it should be obvious Gohan doesn't want his dad going right into another relationship when he just found out Chi-Chi died! It was to be expected. All through her years of being a mother of three, she figured out what she could say and do that wouldn't seem like she was putting the boys in second place. Bulma never dreamed of hurting any of their feelings, but…she just got overly excited when Goku came to her door. It wasn't like it was purposely done to get the two together.

"I'm not saying anything about not doing it, Bulma," Gohan said after studying Bulma's face go through mixed emotions.

She sighed, closing her eyes, "Yes you are, Gohan. Don't try to suddenly be the nice guy after you obviously said you didn't want anything between Goku and I. I understand…sorry for not asking if—."

"Bulma, why do you think you have to ask me if you can do something? Actually, I think it's great that you and my dad are getting closer. For the past four years, you dedicated your life to taking care of the three of us, what else could I ask for?" Gohan paused for a moment, giving a smile. The smile soon faded down into a frown though, "I just don't want to see you two getting hurt."

Bulma kept quiet for a few minutes, taking in everything Gohan just told her. She finally opened her eyes and looked back over at him, "What do you mean?"

This time, Gohan closed his eyes and took in a wavering breath, "The day my dad died…why do you think he didn't go visit my mom before he left? Because he didn't want to look into her eyes and see all the pain implanted there because of him. He thought it would be easier to leave without any sad goodbye." He felt tears sting his eyes behind his eyelids, making him punch himself mentally for still getting emotional about it.

"But my mom took it way out of proportion. In her opinion, it would have been better if he did say goodbye. She had so much to tell him, yet…maybe she just wanted to see him one last time. It would have possibly soothed her mind that he didn't just pack up and leave because he didn't care." Gohan paused again, opening his eyes and looking over at Bulma with a blurry vision.

"Because of their different views, my mom was hurt. She couldn't act like nothing was wrong when it was. And sometimes I think…what if my dad did come to say goodbye? Would my mom have kept her sanity knowing that he died for a good cause? Or would it have been the same fate either way?" Gohan squeezed his eyes shut tightly, tasting salty water on his lips before he knew it. He put his arm over his eyes to hide his shame, "And what about when this week's over? If you two get too close…will it be déjà vu?" Gohan's voiced cracked a bit, making him swallow hard, "Will you act like my mom because of everything that went on? After all…

"You lost Yamcha and Vegeta, too. Do you really want to go through that again?" Finally, Gohan let out a long breath that he'd been holding in to say what he had to say. He finally got enough courage to uncover his face, hoping his eyes weren't too puffy. He felt all his insides burning, making him slightly dizzy. Why did he have to say all that? Now he's just going to get himself all worked up…just like all the other times he thought about what happened.

Hearing all this, Bulma felt tears sting her own eyes. But she wouldn't dare cry. Another thing she learned about being a mother…always be the strong one. No matter what.

"Gohan…" was all she got out before scooting closer to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders, though he wasn't crying anymore. She felt he still needed comforting.

Amazing. That was the only word that went through her mind at that moment. Before, she thought Gohan would be against her and Goku just because he couldn't stand not seeing his dad with his mom. But it wasn't even close to that. Instead, he was worrying about Goku and Bulma…not himself.

How so like him. Always putting others before himself, even if it was killing him inside. Yet for some reason…she didn't think the thought of her and Goku together bothered him at all. It was just the possible outcome.

Maybe she should think about that, also. After all, like Gohan said, she could end up getting hurt if she doesn't feel she's ready to let Goku go.

She let out a sigh. What was she going to do?

"Hey, guys. Anything wrong?"

Both Gohan and Bulma looked up to see Goku and suddenly, Gohan felt very childish. No matter how tough things got, his dad never cried. Now why was he sitting there, with Bulma's arm around him, crying over a memory? He quickly stood up and brushed himself off.

"Nope, nothing wrong. I was just about to come back over," Gohan stated, walking away from the two to spar along with Goten and Trunks.

Goku and Bulma watched him go before Goku looked down at Bulma, a slightly sad look in his eyes, "Is he okay? What were you guys talking about?"

Bulma only shook her head and sighed quietly, "He's just confused, Goku."

Instead of asking too much into the problem, Goku nodded slowly and accepted that as it was. He figured that if it was anything too important, Bulma or Gohan would tell him.

One of his goofy smiles made its way to his face. He stretched his arms high above him, letting out a satisfied sigh as he fell straight back and landed on the ground, his head near her feet.

A laugh escaped her mouth, "Those kids wear you out that quick?"

He grinned at her and put his arms behind his head, "Hey, those kids are tough. I'd like to see you fight with them all day."

Bulma rolled her eyes, punching his leg lightly, "I do! Maybe not in the way that you do, but believe me, when you spend day in and day out with a four and five year old…you get your disagreements where you have to step in." After saying this, she grinned, "But I always won in the end."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Goku said, "you probably just yelled out one word and you scared them away."

She narrowed her eyes into a glare, "Hey—!"

"Ah! No! I'm sorry for insulting you!" Goku yelled out, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he hid his face with his hands.

Hearing and seeing this, Bulma couldn't help but laugh. She shook her head and smirked down at him, "You haven't changed one bit, Goku."

He uncovered his face and mirrored her smirk, "Is that a good thing?"

"It's a very good thing." Even though it was a simple enough answer, it seemed to hold more meaning behind it than let on. And both of them sensed it. Goku sat up so they were facing each other directly. For a moment, Goku had a serious look in his eyes, but it quickly averted to their normal, carefree appearance.

"Ditto."

Bulma's eyes sparkled, a slight blush heating her face. She opened her mouth to respond to that, but got interrupted before she could start.

"Mommy, I'm tired," Goten said, his eyes drooping a bit as he reached them. Before saying anything else, he crawled onto Bulma's lap, resting his head on her chest and closing his eyes.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his small body, placing a kiss on his forehead, "You ready to go home?"

Goten only nodded, gripping the bottom of her shirt within his fist, "Mm-hmm."

"Okay, we'll go then. It's getting late anyway," Bulma said, taking note on all the dark shadows that began forming around the area from all the trees. She guessed the sun was pretty well hidden over the horizon now, showing a deep red glare. She stood up with Goten still in her arms, groaning a bit from all his weight laid on her.

Goku stood up also, "Want me to carry him?" he asked, already holding out his arms to take his youngest son.

Bulma stepped forward and carefully handed Goten over to Goku, the moving hardly fazing the boy at all. Goten laid his head on his father's shoulder and that was it for him.

"Hey, you two! We're ready to go!" Bulma called to Gohan and Trunks, who quickly made their way over to the trio.

"Aww, already?" Trunks whined, crossing his arms. Of course, they all knew he was tired, also. He just wasn't ready to admit it yet.

Bulma nodded, taking his hand in hers, "Yes, already."

So all five of them headed back to Capsule Corp. Even before they got half way there, Trunks' eyes began drooping and Gohan was letting out yawns himself. Bulma knew it must've been a busy day for them if even Gohan was tired at eight-thirty.

As soon as they got home, all of them went upstairs. Gohan announced that he was going to take a shower then go to bed, while Bulma and Goku laid Goten and Trunks down in their beds, both of them falling into a deep sleep, no problem.

"I'm just gonna slip into something more comfortable," Bulma said, going across the hall to her room.

Goku nodded, going down to his room, "I think I'm gonna take a quick shower myself," he paused and sniffed himself, "Worked up a good sweat today."

Bulma gave a disgusted look before disappearing within her bedroom. Goku laughed as he too went into his bedroom, the spraying sound of the shower soon heard.

She opened her drawers and took out a loose shirt and comfortable shorts, changing into them quickly. She let out a loud yawn before exiting her room and heading back downstairs, her stomach growling. Putting a hand over her stomach, she moaned and entered the kitchen, taking out the ice cream from the freezer immediately.

"Note to self," she said out loud, getting a bowl and a spoon, beginning to put the ice cream into the bowl, "_never _eat fish. No good."

After filling her bowl all the way to the top, she licked the spoon and put the ice cream back into the freezer. She sat down at the table, taking a large scoop and putting it in her mouth, loving how it froze her tongue and made her teeth tingle.

As soon as she got done eating and putting the eating devices into the sink, Goku walked in wearing a tight white shirt and blue boxers, a fluffy towel around his neck.

"Refreshing!" Goku said, grinning ear to ear, going back into the living room, followed by Bulma, plopping down on the couch and relaxing.

"Wow," Bulma said, looking at the clock to see it was quarter past nine, "this was a long day, yet it seemed to go by so fast."

Goku nodded, rolling his head and punching the back of his neck lightly with his fists to loosen up all the muscles around that area, "Sure was. But you hardly got to do anything."

Bulma shrugged, putting her feet up on the coffee table, "That's okay. Just watching you guys was tiring enough," she smiled a bit, "some of the things you did looked cool, though, I admit."

He went quiet for a moment before a big smile appeared on his face, "Well, even though you aren't much into fighting, I can teach you some self-defense moves that you might like."

Giving a short laugh, Bulma eyed him weirdly, "Goku, I may be a fast learner in most areas, but I don't think fighting is one of them."

"You never know until you try," Goku said, jumping off the couch and grabbing her hand, making her stand up, also. She let out a short squeak as she was suddenly on her feet, watching as Goku moved the couch and coffee table back with ease.

"Goku…" Bulma said, not quite sure if she wanted to do this or not.

"Okay, how about we start off with ground ones," Goku suggested, ignoring the uncertainty in her voice. Before anything else was said, he lay on the floor on his back, his knees folded. "Now…the first thing you do is stand in between my legs and wrap your hands around my neck."

Hearing this, Bulma once again blushed, "Why would I want to do that?"

"Because this is how you learn," he stated simply, lying his head on the floor also.

She looked at him for a minute before sighing in defeat. Slowly, she walked between his legs and leaned over and laid her hands against his neck.

He looked at her strangely, "Well, that isn't exactly what I would call choking, but it'll do." Since she was close enough to the position he wanted her in, he decided to begin with the move. He grabbed her right wrist with both of his hands, pressing her hands more against his neck, "Okay, the idea is trying to make you believe that I can't put up a fight and bring you closer to me." When he got done explaining this, he wrapped his feet around the outside of her legs, pushing her feet even closer to him, "Then when I do this…it makes you lose your balance, so…" he pushed his feet more to her legs. Because she didn't want to fall on him, she arched her back, throwing her off balance even more. 

Her eyes widened as he pushed her hands away from his neck, making her squeal as she began to fall backwards. She landed with an _oomph _on her back, her eyes closed tightly. Once she was sure she was okay, she opened her eyes to find Goku standing right above her, her legs still in between his, as he smiled down at her.

"Got it?" he asked, the grin never leaving his face at her surprised expression. Seeing her nod, he also nodded and flipped his one leg over so he was standing on her right, "Good, now it's your turn."

Once again, her eyes got bigger as he walked between her legs and leaned down to gently grab her neck, making sure not to choke her, "Remember what to do first?"

"Umm…" she folded her knees up and grabbed his right wrist with her hands. She paused a moment to try to remember what he did next.

"Trick me," was all Goku said before Bulma's face lit up as she remembered.

She wrapped her feet around his legs, bringing him closer to her. She knew that he was helping her along a bit (of course she would never be able to move him on her own!), but she also knew she was doing well nonetheless. Once she got him so close to her, it felt like he was going to fall on her, so she lifted her hips off the ground, making him fall backwards. Because she didn't let go of his wrist, she flew forward with his weight, not catching herself on her feet when he went down. Instead, she found herself straddling his stomach.

Here comes that blush again.

Goku grinned, "That was great, Bulma! See, you can be a fast learner in this, too!" by the way he spoke, it made her almost believe that he didn't even realize the position they were in.

She nodded, mocking his grin, "Of course! Piece of cake!" After she said this, she shifted her weight to one side, about to flip off of him, but that was before he grabbed her wrists quickly.

"Goku?" she asked suddenly, finding that she couldn't move. She squinted down at him, noticing how dark the room had gotten since the sun had completely gone down.

"Once you have me down like this…" Goku started, shifting slightly under her, "know what you can do?"

Bulma shook her head, letting out a short yelp when Goku quickly rolled them over so he was once again on top, "Well, you sure ain't going to get anywhere just sitting there."

She wiggled a bit, once again doing the move he taught her not five minutes ago. This made him chuckle as he was once again on his back looking up at her, "Yeah, so we're in this position again. You better do something before I'm in the lead again."

Tilting her head to the side, she thought about it for a moment, "Umm…the only thing I can think of is to just knee you."

"No!" Goku yelled, his eyes going wide, "There's another way you can go about it."

Bulma let a laugh at his terrified expression, "I wasn't actually gonna do it, Goku…"

Goku only shook his head, not even wanting to imagine what _that _would feel like, "Anyway…you can scoot up and wrap your arms around my neck from the side and fall off to the side. That should put my neck in a very uncomfortable position."

She nodded and did as she was told and…it sort of worked. Instead of connecting his head with her shoulder, she let go half way through the move, making his head fall onto her leg.

"Heh…oops," she said sheepishly, running her hands back through her hair.

Before she could think anything else, Goku sat up and spun around her, his legs wrapped around her legs from behind and his right arm coming around her neck. He lowered his head next to hers, so his mouth was right next to her ear. In a low, almost growl like voice, he said, "And how do you handle this one?"

Hearing his voice that close and feeling his breath on her neck, she shivered noticeably, goosebumps making their way to her arms. She sucked in a deep breath, gripping onto his boxer shorts tightly. 

After finally regaining herself a little, she let out a breath and relaxed, but didn't loosen her grip, "I would handle this one by…relaxing," she stated, her head falling back onto his shoulder, her eyes closing from pure bliss.

Goku's whole body froze for a moment, his once narrowed, menacing eyes going to their normal big, innocent eyes. Black orbs disappeared and reappeared quickly with all three blinks he made. He looked to his side and it was quite clear that she was enjoying herself. Slowly, he lowered his arm from around her neck to around her waist. His other arm, which was supporting him upright, slid back a bit to get in a more comfortable position, but he was surprised when he felt his back come in contact with the couch. Guess he didn't realize how much area they took up by rolling around.

"Mmmm," Bulma moaned out when she felt them go back a little, snuggling her body more into his.

Slowly, almost unsure, he wrapped his other arm around her waist also, both of his arms overlapping each other. She herself brought her arms over his, his skin burning into hers.

His big eyes continued to stare down at her with wonder, the deep silence floating around them. It's been so long since he held a girl in his arms; he almost forgot what it felt like. When he was with Chi-Chi, they hardly had any little romantic moments like this so it was a wonder he was doing everything right now.

Wait…was the word "romantic" just used? His eyes shrunk a bit. Romance? With Bulma? Weren't they just friends?

He swallowed before speaking lowly, "Bulma?"

"Hmm?" she asked back, turning her head to the other side so now her face was facing his way.

He blinked a few times once again, watching through the darkness as she intertwined her legs within his; "…What are you thinking?"

She was quiet for a moment, before answering with the same low voice; "This feels so wonderful…I've been waiting so long for this…"

Hearing this, he felt his heart speed up a couple of miles and he was sure Bulma felt it also, "For…what?"

Bulma decided not to answer right away on this, either. She wondered why she was so calm at the moment…she thought she would be so nervous that she wouldn't be able to say anything and she would just think so much into the idea that she would quickly jump out of his arms.

She never imagined it would be this good…

"For the moment when I would be held again. For the feel of another body against mine. For the greatest emotion to overfill my senses once again…" was her simple, yet explanatory answer.

Goku's eyes shrunk even more, his arms hugging her tighter to him. What was he doing!? Truth be told, he didn't think his mind was working quite right, "Greatest emotion?"

She nodded slightly, running her fingers over his arms. She tilted her head back some, her eyes opening slightly to look into his. He stared back, the shrinking of his eyes happening once again. They were so close…and even though Bulma always had the temperature in CC just right, it suddenly felt like something got messed up and the temperature skyrocketed.

"Don't you feel it, too, Goku?" she whispered, moving her legs to entangle their legs even more.

His Adam's apple moved down then up again as he swallowed hard, his black orbs dancing around to search for some sort of answer within her blue pools. 

Before he knew it, he felt her body scoot closer to his. She tilted her head back more, and leaned up. He watched as her face came closer and closer to his, making him uncertain if his breath picked up or stopped all together.

Once she got so close, he could feel how hot her breath was as she breathed out his name, pressing her lips to his before another long moment could pass.

His eyes widened back up again. His mind swirled with just one question… _Am I…kissing Bulma? _Of course, he knew he was. Yet as soon as he totally realized what was happening, she pulled away slowly, laying her head back on his shoulder.

"Bulma…" his voice cracked out, strong emotion coming through completely, "Why…you…I…"

Hearing that he was at a loss of words, she closed her eyes again and smiled, "Is it so wrong for two friends to share a kiss?"

Goku's eyes shrunk down a bit again until they finally closed. He sighed silently and squeezed her body tighter to his.

"No…there's nothing wrong with it at all."

---

YAY! Pretty chapter! ^^ Sorry for the long wait for this, guess I needed a little break. But I hope it was well worth the wait and you enjoyed it. Please review! Thank you so much!

BTW: I got a new story up… A Goten/Bra fic. ^^; just thought I'd let you know in case you're a fan. It's called "Away". …okay I love you buh-bye!


	8. So THAT'S Where All the Ice Cream Went!

**__**

Just One Week

VIII.

I remember waking up the next morning…how perfect can one thing be? That was the only question that kept going through my mind as I laid against him and stared up at his sleeping face. I know I woke up really early, something like five-thirty, so I wasn't worried about one of the kids coming down and catching us. That just left me all the more opportunity to feel his strong arms around me.

Okay, all my life, I always thought the phrase "I'm so happy I could cry" was very stupid and made no sense at all. And yet…I felt so happy I could cry. Never before had I let my emotions run so free. Yamcha didn't hold me like a woman should be held and Vegeta held no warmth within his arms. Goku…Kami, Goku! For such a naïve, simple-minded man, how could he possibly do what he did!? Are you asking…what exactly did he do? My answer…everything.

Even if he was uncertain the night before, he never let me go. And maybe it was because it was so early in the morning, but he never left my side. Or should I say my back? Heh, either way, it was perfect.

And that kiss! Oooo, even thinking about it makes me feel like I'm on a thousand mile per second roller coaster going through millions of loops! Sure, he was so surprised I didn't really give him a chance to exactly kiss me back, but just the feel of his lips pressed against mine…I never knew how good he would taste until I actually tasted him.

Do I sound like I'm over-reacting? Well, I don't care! My perfect day would be waking up in Goku's arms, listening to sappy romance songs and making sweet love to him all day long, following each other wherever we go, and then falling asleep in each others arms! That isn't enough…I don't know how else to express the way I'm feeling! It can be so frustrating, yet so…!

Maybe I should stop now…

Day three…Tuesday.

* * * * * * * *

Bulma continued to lean up against Goku, studying all his features. How his mouth would slowly become big then small again as he breathed in and out, how every once in awhile his closed eyes would twitch, having that feeling that someone was watching him, how his chest rose up and down in perfect rhythm…

She smiled, listening to the slight _tick, tick, tick _from the clock as each second passed. That being the only sound, she felt as though she was in a world all of her own, and Goku's of course.

Reaching up slightly, she ran her fingertips down the side of his face and over his lips, slipping down his neck and over his steady heart. Bulma snuggled into him more, making him squiggle around a bit, saying that she was pretty much disturbing his slumber. Slowly, he opened his eyes, the drowsy look still upon his face. Goku closed his eyes again as he let out a loud yawn, clicking his tongue numerous times to get that nasty morning taste out. He let go of Bulma with his one arm so he was able to rub his hand across his eyes to get the sleepiness out. Once all this was done and he was actually able to keep his eyes open, he looked down to see Bulma smiling up at him.

Goku smiled back, putting his arm back in its rightful position, "'Morning."

"'Morning to you, too," Bulma greeted, resting her head against his shoulder, "Have a nice sleep?"

He nodded while yawning again, letting out a slight chuckle, "Absolutely. Haven't slept that good in quite awhile."

"Good…" Bulma whispered out. Actually, it wasn't really supposed to be a whisper, yet already she missed the peace and quiet. Not that she didn't want to hear Goku's voice or anything. She closed her own eyes and rubbed her foot against his; their legs still being intertwined. 

They stayed like that for a few moments before Bulma felt Goku's head turn towards her, putting his forehead against the side of her head, moving it back and forth slightly.

"What happened last night, Bulma?" Goku asked. Bulma was able to tell every time Goku blinked, for his eyelashes would move her hair little by little, making her feel as though he were giving her butterfly kisses.

Again, Bulma opened her eyes and stared straight ahead, "It depends when last night you mean."

"I mean…" Goku paused, folding his knees up to bring them to his chest, letting Bulma rest right against him. When she felt this, she also felt her face grow red from slight embarrassment.

"I mean when—," before Goku could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a certain sound.

__

Thud, "One…" _thud, _"two…" _thud, _"three…" _thud, _"four…"

They both narrowed their eyes down in concentration, trying to figure out what the heck that was. After the number six was said, Bulma's eyes got wide in revelation.

"That's Goten's voice…what's he doing up so early?" She asked herself, untangling herself from Goku reluctantly. Goku unwrapped his arms from around her, letting her go free as she sat on her knees on the couch, peeking over from behind the couch.

Seeing this, Goku chuckled and copied her movements, also looking at the stairs and waiting for Goten to appear, "Trying to be a spy now?"

Bulma put her index finger to her lips, "Shh, I wanna see what he does."

"Oh!" Goku covered his mouth with his hands to show that he wouldn't say anymore.

They went back to watching, finally seeing Goten on the stairs, coming down the steps one at a time.

"Eight…" _thud, _"nine…" _thud, _"ten…" _thud, _"eleven…"

He counted all the way to sixteen before finally reaching the bottom of the stairs and changing his pace as he ran quickly into the kitchen, Goku and Bulma never catching his eye. Yet since the couch was facing away from the stairs and not the kitchen, still not wanting to get caught, they flung themselves over the arm of the couch, landing with a loud _bang _on the floor.

"Ow! Goku, you landed on my foot!" Bulma said in a harsh whisper, rubbing her foot lightly.

Goku gave a sheepish look, "Heh, heh…oops."

"Trunks, is that you?" Goten's voice was heard from the kitchen. Goku and Bulma both went quiet, trying to hold their breaths since they suddenly seemed so loud.

"Trunks, if that's you, you can come out now. If you don't, I'll go up and tell Mom you woke me up. You know she'll believe me over you," he chuckled before another slight _thud _quieted him.

"Oops, I dropped the ice cream," he said, mostly to himself. As it was supposedly heard, he put the ice cream on the table and managed to pull out a chair so he could eat at the table.

It was then quiet. Bulma and Goku exchanged glances, both of their eyes saying they wanted to know more of what was going on.

"La, la, la, I love my ice cream!" Goten sang, snickering, "Ice cream all to myself! Oh, yes! Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream!"

The two adults laughed lightly to themselves before Bulma made an indication to follow her into the kitchen. She crawled out behind the couch, followed closely by Goku. They slowly yet surely made their way to the entrance of the kitchen, stopping to peer inside only to see Goten at the table with a huge batter spoon and two empty cartons of ice cream, plus one almost finished carton.

Seeing this, Bulma stood up abruptly, her hands on her hips, "Goten! What exactly do you think you're doing?!"

Goten froze, the spoon halfway in his mouth. His eyes moved to the side slightly to see his mother who looked pretty angry. He closed his mouth over the spoon before sliding it out, making the creamy stuff go slick and smooth. He set the spoon in the carton and wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand.

"I was hungry," was the only thing he could say.

Bulma raised an eyebrow, "Goten, you're always hungry, but that doesn't mean you can come down here at six in the morning and eat all the ice cream!"

Goten looked down in shame, putting his hands behind his back, "Sorry…"

Goku decided to step in then, walking past Bulma and to Goten, picking his youngest son up in his arms, "Oh, come on, Bulma, he didn't hurt anything. He just had a craving for ice cream, didn't you?"

The kid simply nodded.

Bulma threw her arms up in the air, going over to the table and throwing away the empty cartons, "I'm not really scalding him, Goku, it's just the biggest revelation that I _finally _know where all the ice cream goes!"

Goten giggled at hearing this, looking up at his dad with mischievous eyes as he whispered out, "Ice cream has always been my favorite morning snack."

Goku laughed, running his hand threw his son's hair and messing it up even more, "And what a snack it is."

"Uh-huh, and what do you do after you eat all this ice cream?" Bulma asked, putting the last carton back in the freezer for another time.

Quickly, Goten scrambled out of Goku's arms and flew out of the kitchen, "I go back to bed!"

They heard him run back up the stairs and down the hall to his bedroom. They turned back to each other and without another word, began laughing.

"That kid, I swear…" she let out another chuckle, "sometimes I wonder which one of you eats the most."

Goku stopped laughing and gave an offended look, "Bulma, even you will have to bet on me for that one."

"Of course," she stated matter-of-factly. And without another word, she opened up the freezer and took the ice cream back out, grabbing Goten's spoon and digging in.

Goku's eyes got big as did his smile, "Hey, Bulma…you gonna share?"

She only shook her head, putting the spoon in her mouth slowly and closing her eyes, showing him how much she was enjoying the taste.

His smile faded, "No? That's not very nice…" he took a couple steps towards her, making her turn around so he couldn't snatch the ice cream off of her.

He went up to her, reaching down over her shoulder to try to grab the carton, but the further he reached, the lower she made herself.

"I want some!" Goku whined, finally reaching over her side. Bulma giggled loudly, doing a turnabout and fleeing to the other side of the table. Goku went to walk around it also, but once he got so far, she would move to yet another side so she would always be opposite him.

Figuring out her little game, a sly grin slowly overcame his features, "Oh, so that's how you want to play it, eh?" Quickly, he ran to the other side, not giving her a chance to move anywhere. He picked her up like a baby and carried her into the living room, grinning down at her from his victory.

"No!" Bulma yelled, kicking her feet and trying to eat all the ice cream at once. Before they even got to the couch she put the spoon in the carton and put her hand to her forehead, closing her eyes, "Ow…brain freeze."

Goku plopped down on the couch, putting Bulma in his lap as he took the spoon and began to eat the rest, "Mmmm, good stuff!"

Bulma glared at him and before she could think another thought, she took the opportunity to press her lips to his again after he put the spoon down. Again, Goku's eyes only got wide from this action, his whole body going tense. Feeling him do this, Bulma broke the contact, blushing a bit from her obvious want. She put the ice cream carton on the floor before rubbing her hands up and down his arms.

"Don't be so tense, Goku…I'm not going to do anything," Bulma explained, only wanting to get closer to him.

"Heh, I know," Goku said, looking away from her shyly, "it's just…different."

"Different?" Bulma asked, tilting her head to the side, "Oh…you mean doing it with me?"

A red hue came to his cheeks; "You sure are straight forward, aren't you?"

She gave a smile, "I'm Bulma, I have to be."

Hearing this, he also gave a smile and looked back up at her, "Guess that explains everything, huh?"

Bulma merely nodded before asking a question she was almost afraid to let out, "Do you want me to stop?"

Goku paused for a moment, his eyes going almost blank. Bulma bit her bottom lip and looked down, getting ready to get off his lap. She figured that with Goku having just come back and him just learning that his wife died, he wasn't ready for another relationship of any kind. She understood that, it was just the fact…

"No, not really," Goku finally answered, earning him a shocked expression from Bulma.

As Goku laughed, Bulma's lips slowly grew into a smile, "Are you serious? You don't mind?"

"Is it that hard to believe?" he asked, leaning his head against the back of the couch.

Bulma scooted herself on him more, wrapping her arms around his neck and putting her forehead to his, "Almost…" Then she kissed him again.

To her complete and utter surprise, Goku began to kiss back. It was her turn to widen her eyes, but she quickly got over it and just enjoyed the moment.

__

Ding-dong!

The sound of the doorbell ringing made them both jump. They broke away from the kiss and looked at each other strangely for a moment.

"Was that the doorbell?" Bulma asked, throwing her legs over to plant her feet on the ground. She walked over to the door, putting her hand on the doorknob, "I wonder who it could be this time of morning…" she said to herself before unlocking the door to find her answer. 

"Hi, Bulma. Is Gohan around?" the dark-haired girl at the door said, holding her books closely to her chest to keep warm.

Bulma smiled at her, "Videl, hi. Gohan's still sleeping, I think. What are you doing here?"

Hearing Bulma say Videl's name made Goku jump up from the couch and go to the door, smiling away, "Oh, so you're the Videl I hear so much about?"

Videl blushed a bit, noting that the man that stood before her was clad only in boxers. She made sure to look only at his face, "You've heard a lot about me?"

"For sure. I know you're Gohan's girlfriend," Goku said, grinning ear to ear.

From hearing this, Videl blushed more and looked down at her feet, "I wouldn't go that far…"

They were all quiet for a moment, expecting Videl to say more. Eventually, she cleared her throat and looked to Bulma, "Anyway, I was wondering if Gohan was all right. He usually doesn't miss school."

"He's fine," Bulma said, stepping to the side and letting Videl inside before shutting the door, "This is his father, Goku. He's visiting for a week and Gohan wanted to spend a lot of time with him."

Videl's head snapped towards Goku, her eyes huge, "_You're _Goku?! B-but…Gohan told me you were dead!"

Goku chuckled, putting his hand on his hip, "Yeah, well…" He pointed to the top of his head at his halo.

The young girl's mouth dropped open as she stared at the golden ring in astonishment, "No way…that's not even possible…"

"Videl?" came another voice from the top of the stairs.

This made them all look, only to see Gohan who was completely dressed, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh!" Videl exclaimed, turning away from Goku and eyeing Gohan, "I was just wondering if you wanted to walk to school with me, but since your dad is…back, never mind. Maybe some other time."

Videl turned around to head back out the door, but was stopped by Gohan's voice.

"Wait, don't go…" Gohan said, coming down the stairs. He walked over to his dad, "Do you mind if I go to school today? I'll just get my work for the rest of the week, then I'll be okay."

Goku smiled, patting his son on the back, "Knock yourself out!"

Gohan mimicked his smile and turned towards Videl, "Okay, I'll go with you."

Now it was Videl's turn to smile, "Great! Let's get going or we'll be late."

"'Kay," Gohan said, opening the door and letting Videl go out first.

"Gohan, what's that thing above your dad's head…?" was the last thing Goku and Bulma heard her say before the door closed.

The two turned towards each other and grinned.

"Now we only have to young kids," Bulma said, yawning.

Goku nodded and yawned himself after seeing her do it, "You still tired?"

"A little…" Bulma admitted, walking towards the stairs, "I might get a couple more hours of sleep."

He only followed her up the stairs and down the hall, "Yeah, me too."

Bulma opened her bedroom door and stepped inside, once again followed by Goku. She went over to her bed and sat down on one side, "Yes?"

Goku stopped in the middle of the room, finally realizing that he was following her just a _little _too far, "Heh…oops, wrong room."

He was about to turn around until Bulma stopped him, "Hey, that wasn't a sign to make you leave. I was just wondering if you wanted to stay with me?"

After hearing her say this, he jumped on her bed, his body bouncing slightly, "Great, I'll take that as an invitation."

Bulma smiled and laid down, pulling the covers up over them. Goku took about half her pillows and since she wasn't used to sharing a bed with anyone, she automatically pulled most of the covers on her.

Viewing this as a challenge, Goku pulled them back, the blankets only slightly on Bulma now. She narrowed her eyes and pulled them back only to get them tugged away from her again.

She sighed and moved more to the middle of the bed so her body would then be completely covered, along with his. Bulma closed her eyes and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

---

Hi everyone! I finally got this story updated. Sorry this chapter's not as great as the others, but this is just one of those "stupid, but needed" parts. Plus, I had TONS of school assignments thrown on me and I had no time to write, so I decided to make you guys happy and write something. =)

Oh yeah, and if you have time, I have another Goku/Bulma one-shot fic. It's not that long so if you want, you can read that. ^^ It's called "Love So Long, Be So Strong."

ALSO, I may be starting a little contest thing. Okay, for those of you that know me well enough, you know I'm into the odd-couples of DBZ (Goku/Bulma being one of them). Well, I suddenly have a new obsession. Bra/Yamcha. Weird, yes, but so am I. So if you wanna take part in this, you can write one for me! I noticed that only one person wrote one and I want more, more, more! Umm…for a prize…I dunno. If I like your story the best, I'll write a fanfic of any two couples you want me to put together, okay? And if that's not an adequate prize for you…sorry, I really have nothing else to give. If you're interested though, just say so in the review or e-mail me or IM me. Doesn't matter. Bai bai now!


	9. Daydreams and Fantasies

**__**

Just One Week

IX.

Imagine that…even after all these years, it's still possible for Goku and I to become closer. Well, I guess there's still many ways for us to get as close as we possibly can, but I won't go into that right now. After all, I felt more alive than I had in quite awhile and it was all because of him.

People say I'm hard to please…if you get way down deep, I'm really not. Or maybe it's just the kind of person we're talking about. With Goku, he could just flash me his famous grin and I'd be in a puddle. Man, do I feel like I'm in high school all over again…

When we slept in the same bed, I have to say that I was a little…nervous. Okay, maybe nervous isn't the word to use, but I was something, nonetheless. 'Cause right before that…he actually kissed me back! Kami, is he a good kisser. Never thought it possible…wow, Chi-Chi really had something there. Too bad she couldn't have pulled through. If only she had known she would see him in four long years…but she didn't know.

I feel guilt swelling within every inch of my body. Here, Goku hasn't even been back for four days and I'm all over him. Yet the thing is…he's not pushing me away, or telling me to stop, or saying that he still misses Chi-Chi, or…or anything! And another thing…what if Chi-Chi was still alive? Goku would be spending all his time with her and their kids at their house instead of with me…who has no one.

Do I sound selfish? I can't help it. I want Goku. I'm glad he's spending time with me at my place. And if Chi-Chi was alive…well then…

Okay, I should stop before I start sounding like I'm glad my best friend's wife is dead…

Day three continues…

* * * * * * * *

"Mom? Hey, Mom…wake up," Bulma heard this continuous chanting for about five minutes before she finally realized that the voice was not a dream. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked to the side to see Goten and Trunks standing there, looking quite excited if that was the word for it.

"Wha' do ya wan'?" she mumbled out, running her hands over her face. She yawned, closing her eyes again and digging her head deeper into the pillow.

Trunks spoke up; "Can we go outside and play in the pool?"

"Yeah, can we?" Goten added; his voice dripping with plead.

Bulma sighed and turned away from them, waving a hand over her shoulder, "Yeah, yeah, whatever…"

"Great!" they both screamed at once, making her body jump and her eyes shoot open with surprise. She heard them run out of the room, laughing loudly, and slamming the door behind them. Bulma winced and closed her eyes again, moaning in frustration from the disturbance.

"Wow…talk about getting excited over something little," Goku, who still laid beside her, spoke up.

She cracked one eye open, giving a small smile, "You're not one to talk…" she noticed that his hands were behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling, "How long have you been up?"

'Bout an hour or so," he answered before turning to his side to face her.

Her eyes got wide as she sat up in bed and looked at the digital clock, which read 11:36 A.M. She looked back over to him, "Why didn't you wake me up? …And why did you let Trunks and Goten wake me up if they could have just asked you?"

Goku grinned, reaching out one arm to wrap around her waist and pull her back down, "I didn't wake you up because you looked exhausted and I told the boys to ask you."

Bulma's eyes dulled, "Gee—," she was about to say more, but her breath got caught in her throat when Goku got closer to her, rubbing his face into the crook of her neck and sliding his hand across her stomach.

"Goku?" she questioned, not expecting anything like this. She felt heat rise to her face and her stomach tighten, making her feel as if she needed a short dip in the pool, also.

"Hmm?" was the only vibrated response/answer she received. Bulma felt him smile against her neck.

__

He knows exactly what he's doing, that little twerp. Bulma thought to herself, now having a dark blush light her cheeks. After all, if he knew what he was doing, and he was doing it, he must know the effect it was having on her right then. _So much for thinking of him as naïve now…_

She lowered her eyes to watch as his hand roamed across her stomach multiple times before laying her hand over top of his to follow his movements. Closing her eyes, she felt herself drift into her own little wonderland. This could go on all day for all she cared.

Then suddenly, as if it were a horrid villain destroying everything, thunder boomed loudly and there was a heavy downpour of rain that began with no warning. Outside, Goku and Bulma were able to hear the frightened and surprised screams of Trunks and Goten.

Bulma smirked before laughing and shaking her head, "So much for the day in the pool."

Goku laughed also, but stopped abruptly when Trunks and Goten ran into the room again, this time dripping wet and leaving a puddle right in her doorway.

Her eyes widened, "Hey, hey! Get out of here! You're leaving a huge mess!" she scolded, sitting up once again. She felt cold after having just left Goku's embrace.

Instead of running to their room, they only ran further into her room, jumping on her bed and crawling up to her. They decided to plop themselves right in between the two adults, shivering but chuckling all the same.

"Ew!" Bulma screeched, getting far away from the two, "Go get some dry clothes on!"

"B-but—," they both started before being picked up by Goku, each being under one of his arms.

"Come on you two, let's go get you warm and dry," Goku announced, smirking over his shoulder at Bulma before walking out of the room and down the hall with the two boys.

Bulma listened to them go for awhile before laying back down, letting out a loud, exasperated sigh, "The joy of having children…"

Yet even as she said this, a grin was present on her lips. She reached down and ran her hand across her stomach where Goku had left off. Who would have thought he could be so romantic…?

Well, she did remember a time when Chi-Chi was still alive. It was a little before the Cell Games, Trunks being only one year old. The dark haired woman had found out who the father was, giving a snotty look and crossing her arms as she bragged:

"Bulma, I don't know what in the world possessed you to sleep with someone like Vegeta. Maybe you like the rude, rough type, but if you had ever been with someone like my Goku…" she would say, "you would totally forget about Vegeta. No one is as sweet as Goku…"

As she thought back on it, it was quite ironically humorous. Chi-Chi seemed to have set the future. It was true; she didn't know what possessed her to sleep with Vegeta. Yes, she did like the rough type, therefore never imagining herself with someone like Goku. Yet now that he's here and they're showing affection towards each other…she had totally forgotten about Vegeta. By the sweet part, Bulma always thought she meant that the man was just gentle for being a world savior, but now that she got up close and personal…Chi-Chi had meant much more than that.

She sighed again, this time in content. What was it about him? Was it his good looks? His naïve side? His sweet side? The way he handles children? The way he handles her? His gentleness? His small aggressive side? All of the above?

__

All of the above…and that's my final answer. Bulma smirked, wiggling underneath the covers and gripping the bed sheets tightly into her fists. _Yes…I feel like a millionaire! …Not that I wasn't one before, but that's beside the point._

The thunder booming again made her jump out of her thoughts and look out the window to see the rain patting heavily on the window and the distant lightning striking. So much for spending the day outside.

She looked to the spot in front of her bed, a TV hanging off the ceiling with a DVD player connected. Maybe they all could just lay in bed all day and watch movies. She knew eventually Trunks and Goten would get bored and go play in their room, or just get tired and fall asleep, but she didn't know if Goku had the will power to just sit and look at the TV all day. Truthfully, watching TV is about the only thing she ever did on a rainy day. That, or read one of her books or work on an invention. But she didn't feel like working today.

Bulma decided to just relax and listen to the sounds around her. Every once in awhile, she would hear Trunks and Goten's laughter and water splashing, but other than that, it was just the rain and the thunder.

After about ten minutes, Goten and Trunks ran back into her room, this time in dry pajamas. She smiled as the two made their way up the bed and underneath the covers, Goten being beside her and Trunks on the other side of him.

"Did I say you two could come in here and make yourselves at home?" Bulma asked playfully.

"Uh-huh," Goten answered, his whole body disappearing under the covers.

"You said we can come in here anytime," Trunks added, smirking up at her, his head being the only part of him visible.

Goku then entered, grinning at the scene in front of him, "Well isn't this a Kodak moment?"

"Sure is," Bulma said, mimicking his grin, "why don't you join in?"

Without another word, Goku got under the covers also. The two boys were hyper for a little while, forever wiggling every which way. Eventually, however, they got still and quiet, an indication that they were asleep.

Bulma smirked, "I knew it wouldn't be long. They're always tired after they get a bath." She looked over to Goku, who was staring down at the two, a distant look in his eyes. Following his gaze, she noticed that he was looking at Goten more. Also taking a good, hard look at the youngest kid, her eyes saddened. Sure, he was mostly a duplicate of his father, but he still had some features that let people know who his mother was.

Her heart dropped as her mind raced for something to say, "Hey, I'm hungry."

Goku's eyes shot up to her in an instant, "Food?"

She giggled quietly and nodded, throwing the covers off her and getting out of bed, her body shivering slightly from the disappearing warmth, "Let's go get some."

He nodded immediately, jumping out of bed also and following her down to the kitchen. Once there, she turned on the light and looked around, "What do you want?"

"Doesn't matter to me," Goku said, already looking in the refrigerator. Bulma went beside him to open up a top cupboard and look through there, deciding if she wanted to make vegetable soup or not.

"Hmm…" she hummed out, leaning over more to push cans out of the way, seeing what else she possibly could have.

"Hmm what?" Goku asked, now standing behind her to look in the cupboard also. Feeling his body press up against hers, her body stiffened instantly and her pupils dilated. She knew Goku noticed for he began running his hands up and down her arms before turning her around and looking into her eyes.

Before she knew it, he leaned down and captured her lips with his, only being gentle for a second then bringing her closer to him for a passionate kiss. Bulma moaned within the lock, her hands finding their way to his shoulders to hold on for dear life as he lifted her up to sit her on the counter. She pressed her head against the cupboard doors, Goku slipping his mouth over her jaw and to her neck, making her close her eyes and groan in ecstasy…

"Bulma?"

"Huh?!" Bulma's eyes snapped open as she realized she was still staring into the cupboard, Goku beside her with questioning eyes.

"Umm…are you okay?" he asked nervously, his eyes blinking, "You just kinda zoned out there."

Bulma, also blinking, turned to look at him before blushing ferociously and going over to the table, "Guess I'm just really hungry and I'm frustrated because I don't know what to eat…" she murmured out, blushing even more from her stupid excuse.

"Oh…kay," Goku said slowly, taking out two boxes of cereal and putting them on the table, "well, when in doubt, eat cereal. It's always there," he stated, also getting out bowls, spoons, and the milk.

She put her hand to her forehead and plopped down in a chair, watching as he made her a bowl of Lucky Charms.

__

What the hell was that? Bulma wondered to herself, picking up her spoon subconsciously when he slid the bowl in front of her. _I never just had one of those erotic fantasies out of nowhere…_

"Are you sure you're okay, Bulma?" he asked again after noticing she wasn't eating, even after seeming to almost pass out from hunger. Even he didn't do that! He put a hand on her forehead, seeing how she jumped. "You do seem kinda hot…you sick?" he put a huge spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

Bulma sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them back up, she took a bite of her cereal and smiled a little, "Nah…I think I'm just a little tired still…"

Goku eyed her weirdly for a moment before shrugging and eating some more, "If you say so."

After a few more moments, Bulma got over the weird experience and ate her cereal happily, hardly even taking notice to the fact that Goku ate two whole boxes of cereal. Once they were both done, Bulma put her index finger to her chin as she thought.

"What to do now?" she questioned, more to herself. Goku shrugged and leaned against the counter, waiting for her to decide. He looked out the window and saw that it was still raining. Sighing, his shoulders slumped. He was dying to train…

"I know!" Bulma finally shouted, her eyes brightening as she ran out of the kitchen and into the living room. She went to the closet that was located on the far wall, opening it and holding her arms out immediately to catch hold of a mattress that just so happened to fall out.

Goku saw this, raising an eyebrow, "What a sport…catching mattress's…"

She glared at him over her shoulder, giving him the mattress quickly before taking out about six pillows that were also in the closet. Quickly, she shut the door and headed past him and down the hall.

"H-hey, Bulma! Wait up!" Goku called, picking up the mattress under his arm with ease and running after her. It didn't take long for them to reach her destination. She typed in a six-digit code, two doors disappearing to let them walk in. Once Goku entered, he looked around the place in amazement.

"Wow…what is this place?" he questioned, subconsciously seeing her stop sometime in the middle and setting the pillows down, him also dropping the mattress.

"This was once my favorite lab…" Bulma answered. And it was no wonder. The place was huge! Goku almost imagined the room he was standing in took up about three-fourths of Capsule Corp. There was no carpet, just a hard, metal floor and metal walls all around. When looking straight up, he noticed that all the ceiling was, was glass. He smiled at being able to see the heavy ran pounding down atop him, yet staying completely dry.

Once he was able to take in the whole room, he looked back to Bulma, only to realize she dragged the mattress to about the middle of the room and laid the pillows on top, plopping down afterwards.

"It's a little cool in here, but I think it feels nice," she stated, falling back onto the pillows and showing him a smile.

He walked over to her, staring down at her, "You said this was your favorite lab…what happened?" Again, he had to look around; "I can't even imagine how much stuff you could've put in here…and you didn't even fix it up?"

Bulma sighed and lay her hands on her stomach, intertwining her fingers together, "I have my reasons…" she looked away from him to look straight up into the rain, "This is where I built all my spaceships…and lost one for good."

Goku tilted his head to the side for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. After all, it didn't even take a semi-smart person to figure out that this was the last place Bulma saw Vegeta. So instead of digging further into the subject, he just nodded, "Hey…this looks like a pretty good place to train. …Do you mind?" he asked.

She sighed and closed her eyes, shrugging, "Whatever, doesn't matter to me," she answered.

"Great!" Goku said, sounding like a little kid who just got told he could pick out any toy he wanted. Quickly, Bulma heard him _whoop _past as he began his training with multiple back flips everywhere.

And everyone knows that Goku can train for hours on end. Needless to say, that's exactly what he did, too. Bulma didn't really mind; she hardly paid attention to anything around her as she stared at the see-through ceiling.

She somehow felt…awkward just lying there. Ever since the incident four years ago, she hadn't been in there. She really found no reason to. After all, isn't that where her life fell apart? That was the event marking the beginning of many other horrible things to come.

A couple of times, she could have sworn she was so deep in thought that she was dreaming, but then Goku would pick that time to jump over her, making her jump back to reality.

Eventually, Goten and Trunks woke up and found the two, wanting to join Goku in his training. Since those two were quite noisy in everything they did, Bulma couldn't find herself thinking straight, leaving her to search for _Losing Hope, _the book she was reading the day Goku came back. She almost forgot what it was about but as soon as she began reading it again, it all came back to her.

^*^*^

__

…Shiori and Takeru walked along the silver-coated path, flowers sleeping in the lush green grass on one side of the walking couple and sparkling slow-flowing water on the other. The bright, full moon shone down, the only light illuminating everything around.

The young girl, who had her hair down to flow around her shoulders, looked down at the path before her, her mind fully focused on the hand that held hers. Yes, the hand did belong to Takeru, in fact, ever since they decided to go on the walk, he never let go. As far as she could remember, no one has ever taken the time to just hold her hand and walk in perfect silence.

Such a romantic moment. That's the only phrase her mind could make out. Ever since she had her children, all her days were focused on their needs. But now that she was reunited with her best friend…her life seemed to be more worthwhile…just how she felt about six years ago…

"Nice night…" Takeru stated, making her jump from her thoughts. Her lips made a small smile, noticing the urgency in his voice to strike up a conversation of any sort.

"Yeah, it is…" she whispered back, purposely walking closer to him. All her life, Shiori has always been on the shy side, but suddenly, she didn't want to waste any more of her days like that. This could be the opportunity of a lifetime and she wasn't going to pass it up. Standing up straight and wrapping her free arm around his, she boldly said, "And it's even better because I'm with you," she rested her head on his shoulder, "I missed you so much, Takeru."

She heard him make a small sound that indicated how surprised he was, but he soon got over it as his body relaxed against hers, "I know what you mean."

Again, they were silent. They continued to walk along, taking notice to the ducks that were sleeping on the waters edge, softly bobbing up and down from the currents. Soon, they came across a willow tree. Shiori spotted it and giggled lightly, pulling his hand towards it. She pushed away the blanket of leaves that hung down, making her way to the trunk of the tree.

Shiori sat down against it, smiling beautifully up at her best friend as he grinned back, "Spur of the moment thing?"

She simply nodded, patting the spot beside her. Taking the hint, he sat next to her, leaning his head against the tree. She felt as though they were in hiding…keeping secret from the rest of the world behind the safety of the willow tree's leaves.

Takeru suddenly grabbed both of her hands into his, making her look at him with curiosity, "Takeru?"

"Shiori…" he began, looking deep into her sea blue eyes, "I know you went through a really rough time in your life and I'm sorry I wasn't there…I remember before I left six years ago I said that I would always be there for you. Shows how much—."

"Don't take the blame," Shiori interrupted, shaking her head, "you couldn't have known what—."

"Just let me finish," Takeru said sternly, gripping her hands tighter, "I said I would always be there and I meant it. However…I do need to go back and finish up some things…but I promise you, Shiori, that I'll come back to you and…" he trailed off.

Shiori's eyes glistened with sudden hope, "And…?"

"And…" he looked down at their hands before looking back up and continuing, "and we can be together. If that's what you want…"

If the world stopped turning, she didn't notice. If her heart stopped beating, she didn't notice. All that was there was she and he, their minds racing madly against each other as their breaths sped up. Were words needed? If they were, so much for fulfilling what was needed.

He was her best friend. She was his. Could it work out? Did she care right then? No…all that mattered was that she was with someone that she loved and who seemed to love her in return. Love can surpass all…

A smile was all that was needed for him to let out a breath he'd been holding in. Quickly, he let out a joyous laugh, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. She laughed also, pressing her face into his chest and gripping his sleeves, feeling her eyes moisten. 

Slowly, they pulled apart from each other, leaning in for the kiss that would lead to the rest of their lives…

^*^*^

"Look what I can do, Mom!" Trunks suddenly screamed, interrupting her from her reading. She blinked a couple times before looking to her right and spotting Trunks and Goten standing side and side, looking at her.

She smiled slightly, "What is it?"

Trunks smirked while Goten grinned. They kneeled down until they were almost on their knees before springing up, each of them jumping as high as they possibly could. She watched as they both flew up, getting closer and closer to the ceiling. Eventually, they began slowing down as the momentum lowered, they fingers outstretched above them to try and reach the ceiling.

Unfortunately, neither of them succeeded, but Trunks was a little closer than Goten. Mostly because the lavender haired kid was slightly taller.

They both groaned in frustration as they fell back down to the floor, landing with a loud _humph. _

Bulma set her book down and clapped, "Yea! Very good you two!"

They blushed and looked down at their feet.

"It was supposed to be better…" Trunks said, kicking the ground with his foot.

"Yeah…we were supposed to touch the ceiling and skyrocket back down," Goten added.

Her eyes widened as she turned over on the mattress and looked at the sheepish looking Goku, "Oh, how…pleasant…"

"Eh heh, heh…" Goku put his hand behind his head and chuckled, "the idea seemed to intrigue their minds so…"

Bulma only shook her head and laughed a little, turning back around for the three guys to continue their training. She looked at the cover of her book and sighed silently. What a romantic book…

She couldn't help but replace hers and Goku's name in place for Shiori and Takeru. It just seemed to fit. She closed her eyes for a moment and pictured the scene she just read, except without the actual characters. She couldn't help but show a small smile.

__

I think I'm in love…

---

Happy Easter! ^^


	10. Teasing and Loving

**__**

Just One Week

X.

Do you think anything else exciting happened that day? No, not really…Goten and Trunks just finally succeeded on doing that fly up, push off thing and well…their finale sure was…oh, what's the word for it…dynamite? They pushed themselves up to the ceiling so perfectly and pushed back off so perfectly, that they were caught up in their glory and didn't pay any attention to how close the ground came to them. They should have a couple of big lumps for a few days…

I should've screamed at Goku, I mean, he was the one that told them to try it. And it ended up with both of them crying their eyes out, Goten much louder than Trunks. Trunks still had that small reputation to uphold and didn't want to seem like a baby in front of me, Goten, and especially not Goku. He was a "cool, tough guy!" In my son's own words.

But, as usual, Goku's good humor came in handy and the boys were laughing in no time, ready for some more action almost immediately.

Not too long after that whole incident, Gohan came home from school, stating that he was going to head to his room to get his homework out of the way. So much for company there. I was almost positive that when Gohan saw the other guys sparring and training that he would join in. …Oh well, maybe he would be back later, the smarty-pants. Until then, I decided to stop reading my book, not wanting it to end too soon. Making a little midday snack sounded like a better idea, for me and for the boys. I'm sure once they stopped for a few moments; those stomachs of theirs will be making very weird sounds, telling them it's time to eat.

I was in the middle of opening about the eleventh can of ravioli's and putting them in a big pot when a huge fight broke out…umm, sorta…

* * * * * * * *

Deep within the corridors of Capsule Corporation, somewhere on…a very high floor (okay, so just the second floor), there is quietness…very, very silent, that it is indeed…until the loud slamming of a door is heard, followed by many footsteps, and then yelling.

"Mommy! Gohan's gonna kill me!" screamed Goten, who sounded a bit frightened, yet amused at the same time.

"Goten, get back here!" came Gohan's scream next. The teen sounded more than a little annoyed and it was apparent enough that he was chasing Goten everywhere. It could always be known when Gohan was right on his tail, for the little kid would shriek and laugh a lot louder.

"But Gohan…!" Goten tried to explain, the two of them now in the living room. Bulma had to put all the food down, turning around to stare into the room with her hands on her hips, her foot tapping on the kitchen floor. The sudden sound scared her, making her jump and spill some sauce on her clothing.

"Trunks was the one that pushed me in!" Goten finished, trying his best to make Gohan believe him.

Watching the scene before her, Bulma had to smirk and go to the doorway, getting a front row seat on the show that was taking place. Gohan and Goten had been running around the couch, neither of them bothering to just fly over or turn around and run the other way. Finally, however, Goten did stop behind the couch, making Gohan stop in front of it to wait for his next move.

"I'm serious, Gohan!"

"You were still spying!" Gohan yelled, now not being so vicious, a sparkle glinting in his eyes that obviously said that he was having fun, "And now you're gonna pay!"

Without another thought, Gohan dived over the couch, making Goten scream in terror. His yells were soon drowned, though, when Gohan landed on his baby brother, smothering him behind the couch.

"Mmmmm-ommy-y-y!" the little one screamed, the first part of the word barely heard and the second part enough to wake the whole compound. Bulma only watched, however, as Gohan got Goten in a headlock and began rubbing his knuckles atop of Goten's head.

"Ow! Gohan, that hurts!" he screamed, trying to wiggle his way out of the strong grip.

Bulma, now giggling, stepped into the room, "All right, that's enough Gohan," she was pleased when Gohan obeyed and let the kid out of the headlock, "what's this all about anyway?"

"Gohan was in his room making out with Videl!" Goten screamed before Gohan could ever open his mouth. This time, Goten jumped over the couch when he caught glimpse of the evil eye Gohan shot his way.

Raising an eyebrow, Bulma stared at Gohan with amusement, "Oh, really now?"

"N-no, Bulma! It wasn't like that at all!" He stammered a bit at first, a dark red appearing on his cheeks to indicate a blush. He waved his hands in front of him in defense, "It was nothing like that. Goten and Trunks just came in at the wrong ti—."

"_Because _you were making out!" Goten insisted, peaking his head over the side a little, enough to see everything that was going on, but far enough away to dodge any punches that may come his way.

"_No! _I wasn't…" Gohan shot back, his face becoming even redder.

"Yes, you were! Yes, you were!" came a different voice across the room that could belong to none other than Trunks. The boy with the lavender hair chuckled, pointing at Gohan with both of his index fingers.

"No, I—!"

"He was! I saw it with my own ears…er—eyes rather," was Goku's response. Goten and Trunks chuckled at this "joke" and the grown man grinned just as widely as the two youngest ones, acting as though he were their age, if not younger.

"Dad!" Gohan cried in disbelief, standing straight up immediately, looking as though he would pass out any second, though, rather it be from embarrassment or astonishment.

"Goku!" Bulma then yelled, "Honestly!" She chuckled a bit and shook her head. The poor boy…she wouldn't blame him if he wanted to stab himself at that very moment. And Videl…! Gohan had admitted to her being up in his room…what was she thinking right now? Bulma almost had the urge to run upstairs just to make sure Videl was still in the room and not out the window.

"They were all like this!" Goten spoke up again before turning around and wrapping his arms around himself, making loud, kissing sounds.

Gohan became that much redder.

"Yeah, yeah, and then they were all like…" Trunks mimicked Goten, except he decided to take it a step further by throwing himself against the wall, making louder sounds. Just to shove it more in Gohan's face, he began making moaning sounds, mixed in with Videl's name, of how Gohan "had been" saying it.

Goku chuckled at the humorous displays before him, about to do his own little skit before he caught Bulma's eye. She had that stern look in them that said that was enough, making him drop his arms to his sides and put on a straight face.

"Goten. Trunks." Bulma said sternly, making them both stop immediately and turn to face her, then to hang their heads low in apology.

"We're sorry…" they said in unison with much sincerity in their voices.

"Don't tell me sorry," she said, crossing her arms under her chest before nodding her head in Gohan's direction.

"Sorry, Gohan," they both said again, perking up only when Gohan told them it was okay…after a heavy sigh.

"Good!" Bulma smiled proudly at how well she could work things out. She clapped her hands together and looked around at everyone, "Now, food is almost done, so Gohan, why don't you go up and get Videl and she can join us. You other three, go wash your hands."

Without another word, Gohan ran upstairs and Goten and Trunks ran into the kitchen. Unfortunately, they had to pass Bulma on their way in there, which was why Goku didn't quite make it.

"Goku," she said simply, making him stop dead in his tracks. Turning to face her, her put on a crooked grin and laughed nervously, sliding his hand up to behind his head to give a sheepish look.

"Eh…yes, Bulma?"

She stared at him seriously for no more than five seconds before she broke into a smile and punched his arm lightly, "Baka! Now why did you do that? You embarrassed the heck out of him."

Seeing that she wasn't going to lecture him, he straightened his grin out, "He knew we were just kidding. Besides…we're all family here!"

For some reason, that little statement made Bulma's heart flutter and her own face to redden this time. Yes…she wanted a family. A normal family. …or at least as normal as they came around here.

Goku watched the blush light up her face, making him tilt his head to the side in wonder.

"Yes, but I can only imagine how Videl fel—," she stopped herself short when she noticed Gohan and Videl were coming down the stairs, "Shut up!" Bulma whispered harshly to Goku even though he wasn't speaking. He was about to question her on the ideal but instead got pushed into the kitchen by her so he was out of sight.

"Hello, Videl! Are you going to stay for an early supper?" Bulma asked politely.

"No, thanks," she replied, walking hurriedly over to the front door, "my father is probably wondering where I am. See you tomorrow, Gohan." She said this all in quite a rush before shutting the door behind her, everyone positive that she was happy to be out of that house.

"Umm…bye." Gohan replied to the door. He turned to face Bulma and returned her smile, "She'll be back."

***********

Later that night, Bulma was finally happy to lay Goten and Trunks down to sleep, Gohan being in bed also. Bulma was busy making her bed, almost ready for sleep herself. She was humming silently to herself, the soothing sound of the shower spraying water coming in from the next room. Yes, Goku was in there, after Bulma told him he stunk and that he should get a bath. She could only imagine the atmosphere in that room at that very moment…

Steam. Thick steam from the scolding water filling the air, making it almost impossible to see through at first glance. The mirror's fogged up, but it's okay. No reflections needed at the exact moment. The temperature inside the room was enough to make anyone want to strip quickly, to get out of the restrictions that kept the body from feeling engulfed within the misty steam.

The spray of water hitting against the wall and the shower door, the inside of the shower seeming as though a heavy rain pour was trying to beat it down. But those weren't the only things the water was pounding on. Ohhh, no! There was something better, something much better…located right in the center. Jet black hair pushed back from the pressure, water droplets running quickly down the length of the perfectly shaped and built body.

Question: What's better than watching water glide over a perfect body?

Answer: Watching your own hands glide over that perfect body.

She could only imagine how it would feel to savor the delicious taste of a hot, salty individual, standing directly before her, directly against her, to…

"Hey-a, Bulma! Watch-a doin'?"

The voice snapped her roughly out of her daydream once again. Her eyes turned sharply to Goku, who was standing in the doorway with nothing but boxers on and a towel around his neck. He was still dripping wet, seeming to have walked right out of the shower without bothering to dry off.

Looking down, she happened to notice that she was squeezing a pillow very tightly in her hands, making her knuckles turn white. She threw the pillow down roughly before she could think twice about it, making Goku give her a weird glance.

"Nothing, just…" quickly, she thought up something to say, "just thinking about how rude you were earlier to Gohan."

Goku chuckled softly, "You still on that? Gohan found it funny, too, ya know," he let her know, wanting to get the point across that there were no hard feelings.

Bulma only shrugged, however, and straightened out the bed sheets more.

Goku frowned a bit, then grinned, deciding to tease her. Turning around, he wrapped his arms around himself, much like how Goten and Trunks did earlier, and began making kissing sounds all over again.

Rolling her eyes, Bulma clapped her hands twice to turn her bedside lamp on medium, pressing in a button on the wall to turn off the ceiling light, "Honestly, Goku. Sometimes you can be so childish."

In spite of her, Goku decided to take it a step further by throwing himself down to the ground. As Bulma sat on the edge of her bed, she couldn't see Goku any longer, but she could hear him perfectly clear as he rolled around on the floor.

"I sure hope they didn't do _that_ much!" Bulma said humorously, "Then I would have to make fun of him, too." She giggled and flopped back on the bed.

Goku popped up and jumped on the bed, making Bulma have to brace herself so she didn't go flying off the bed. He grinned over at her, "Oh, but they did."

Bulma had to look over at him with surprise, "_You _didn't actually spy on them too…did you?" she asked him with an edge in her voice. She propped herself up on an elbow and looked down at him, trying to keep her eyes from gazing over his body too much.

"Of course I did," he replied like it was nothing, giving a slight shrug. He put his arms behind his head to lay on them as he looked back up at her, "What's the big deal?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly and pinched his side, "Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"

"Yeah…we're in privacy right now," he responded, snuggling deeper into the mattress, "Isn't it great that Gohan didn't even think about getting back at me?" He questioned playfully.

Bulma dulled her eyes at everything he just said before flipping over and sitting up, "I'm going to get changed." She was about to stand up to get her pajamas, but got stopped when she felt Goku wrap his large hand around her delicate one, making her turn around and raise an eyebrow.

"Not yet." Goku demanded gently before sitting up himself. Bringing Bulma closer to him, he was surprised, and sure she was too, at his next course of action. He brought her down so his lips could come in contact with hers, making it as simple as possible at first. He wasn't quite sure why he did it; he just had that urge to do such a thing ever since earlier that morning when they were having a small intimate moment.

Bulma's eyes widened before she had a chance to respond in any other way. Her body stiffened, but only for a few seconds before she realized what exactly was happening. This wasn't bad at all…her body went limp against his and she closed her eyes slowly, sinking into him gradually.

Goku pulled away too soon for Bulma's liking. Neither of them bothered to open their eyes as their lips were mere millimeters away, their hot breaths intermingling with the other. Then hearing Goku whisper her name made her get chills up and down her spine. Why was he suddenly doing this? And now? Did he have something…on his mind? She wanted to ask him. Oh, how she wanted to. But she couldn't bring herself to speak, as though she had no voice at all.

"I've missed you so much…" Goku again whispered, his eyes, once open, full of more passion now than Bulma had ever seen. When did this change in him occur? It seemed so abrupt.

Still not being able to speak, she could do no more than nod in agreement, wanting to tell him how much she has missed him in return.

"You've done so much for Gohan and Goten these past four years…" he said lowly, huskily. Bulma knew that tone of voice. It was like a low, deep growl, emitting from the very core of Goku's body. Coming straight from his heart and vibrating out like a soft purr.

Bulma began to get a blurry vision. Out of all the happenings today, she never thought this would be the way she would end it. She felt Goku's lips on her own again, but only for a second before pulling away to speak again.

"You didn't deserve to go through what you did…" Goku reached a hand up to run it back through her hair, making her close her eyes and tilt her head with his touch. Her lips parted slightly at the wonderful feeling.

"How long…" Bulma managed to finally speak, but with a weak voice, "I've been wanting to be held…like this…again…" she opened her eyes once more, staring directly into Goku's fiery orbs. She had to gasp. He was staring at her so intensely, like he could see right through her. He knew all of what she was feeling, all of what she was thinking, everything about her. She felt so vulnerable in that instant, but…it didn't matter. She was in Goku's hands now. There was nothing for her to be afraid of.

Goku leaned towards her again and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her a third time, but instead, he went off to the side to breathe roughly into her ear. Automatically, her skin got tight and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

"I want to show you how much you mean to me…"

With those words spoken, Bulma gasped again and gripped onto him for dear life.

"Yes…!" she moaned out quickly against her own will, wanting him so badly her body already burned with a fire she thought had burned out a long time ago.

Before she knew it, Goku had slid off the bed and picked her up when he stood. His hands held her right under her rear, her legs instinctively wrapping around his torso and her arms around his neck. It was her turn to initiate a kiss, this time with more passion.

Resting one knee on the bedside, Goku held her protectively to him…

__

And as he laid me back ever so gently on the bed…I felt something inside of me come alive all over again. My soul itself. I felt more energy than I ever felt before…this was all I ever wanted. With all the things I could have wished for with the dragon balls, with all the materials I could have bought with my money…this is all I ever needed. Was to be with my best friend. To be with Goku.

He did everything so gently…so perfectly. Before that night, I knew he loved me, but I wasn't quite sure in what way. He showed me love like no other ever has. Yamcha and I were just a couple of crazy teenagers. Vegeta and I were nothing but a lust thing. But nothing can beat what Goku and I share. We share something stronger than a crush. Something stronger than lust. Something stronger than friendship. Something stronger than love itself. We have a distinct bond. We're in _love. I could feel it in his every touch. This is how it should have been right from the very beginning._

Everything made that night what it was. It was our time to get to know each other that much more. To experience the feel of the other. He would often intertwine our fingers together and entangle our legs in a lover's heap. I knew what little spots hit him the hardest for he would continuously tell me how much he loved me…he would say my name just to say it. Out of all the years I've known my dear Goku, this is the one side of him I was always abandoned from. Chi-Chi beat me to the catch. Goku was one in an infinity. No one could ever take us away from each other now…

We blended together. We were one. It's the most amazing thing when two lovers become one…I wonder if Goku felt this way about Chi-Chi, or this was a whole new experience for him also. I'm just going to assume that we're one of a kind.

I finally found what I'm looking for…and I'm never going to let it go again.

--------------------

Can you believe it…can you believe it?!?! I finally got another freakin' chapter out!! And let me tell you…I can't even begin to explain how sorry I am. It's like…one minute it was May, and then next it was September. I was busy a lot of the summer and now that school started, I decided to say heck with my homework! I'm gonna give the people what they want! Shoot, I think I missed writing this story as much as y'all missed reading it. Well, hopefully I can begin to update regularly again. Also, I hope this chapter was well worth the wait and was something of what you were expecting. ^_^ Please don't abandon me! I'm back! Please review!


	11. Romantic Moments and Sad GoodByes

**__**

Just One Week

XI.

__

The next morning was glorious. I don't think I've ever woken up feeling so refreshed…so new. It's about time! Gees, why didn't I think of this little solution sooner?! It could've saved me a lot of trouble, that's for sure. Goku wasn't awake yet, however, when I first woke up. No big surprise there, though. Goku is either one to get up very early or very late. No in between. And it was very clear that it was going to be one of those very late days. No matter. It wasn't like I was bored or anything. Just achy. It was the weirdest feeling, but…I wanted him again.

I wanted to do an exact repeat of the night before. Funny. Usually after I slept with a guy, the next morning all I wanted to do was take a shower and go on with the day, not paying any mind to what happened probably no more than twelve hours earlier. …Until later that night, of course. Yes, night was always the time to do the "naughty", huh? It was just something that was written with the deal.

This time seemed different though. Later that night seemed way _too far away for its own good. What was the difference anyway? If it was night or day…is it two different experiences? In one scenario you can see the other person and in the second scenario you can't. Big deal._

He held me in his arms all night, so I was already dangerously close to him. All I had to do was lean in and…

* * * * * * * *

Bulma kissed him gently on his lips that were slightly parted in his dream state. Just from that light contact, her whole body jolted with explosions as though she was near the edge of her peak all over again. Talk about sensitive to the touch. She was pleased with this position for a moment, but once Goku didn't respond, an indication that said he was still asleep, she found she had to do more. She wanted him to wake up now…she watched him sleep long enough.

Slithering an arm around his well-built torso, she pushed him closer to her by pressing her hand against his middle back. The task was harder than what it sounded, but she was determined, especially after she let his lips bruise hers and vice versa. Out of this, she only received a slight moan from her partner, telling her that he was very slowly waking up.

No. There would be no slowness.

She slid her hand further down his back until she found that oh-so-sensitive tail spot. The little patch was somewhat fluffy, a soft mark that made her positive of what it was. Learning wisely from the night before, she recognized that even the simplest touch of that certain spot could make the gentle Saiyan go wild with passion. She smirked and smoothed her fingers over the softness. She felt his body jerk and his eyes open slowly, yet fast enough for her to tell that he was fully up and alert of what was going on.

His big, dark eyes locked onto hers, but only for a split second before he had to close and narrow his eyes in slight concentration, trying to keep control of himself as she teased him.

"What a wake up call," was Goku's morning greeting, his voice sounding indelicate.

Bulma let her smirk slide into a small smile as she watched with amazement, his face twisting and turning with the stages of delight. Again, she kissed him, intoxicated with pleasure when he began to respond.

"How 'bout we take a shower…?" Bulma asked, their lips still touching so he could not only hear the words, but feel them as well.

He grinned at her, nodded, and threw the bed covers off of them. Not quite used to the room temperature without the blankets, Bulma squealed and tried to cover herself back up, giggling when she felt Goku lift her up, wedding style, and carry her into the bathroom that was connected to her room. 

**********

Downstairs in the kitchen, Trunks stared across the table at Goten, Goten stared over to the side of the table at Gohan, and Gohan stared intensely at a science book he held in his hands, his eyes skimming wildly across the page. One stomach gurgled from hunger, followed by another. Gohan heard this, of course, it was kind of hard not to, but he chose to ignore it. If the two kids were that hungry, he would just wait until they asked for something to eat, instead of just serving them.

"Gohan?" Goten asked, his voice sounding a bit high pitched from how quiet it was a moment before.

"Yeah, hm?" Gohan answered, still reading his book yet paying enough mind to Goten to listen to what he had to ask.

"Why is the sky blue?" came the question immediately, not really sounding curious, just bored enough to ask such a question as that. Goten watched as Gohan lowered his book so identical eyes could stare right back at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he also saw Trunks turn towards Gohan to see how he would respond.

"Well, that's an easy one," Gohan remarked, holding up his index finger like a professor as he was about to explain, "see, there's a certain chemical in the air called—."

"I'm hungry," Trunks suddenly spoke up, his stomach growling once again to back up his statement.

Goten's tummy mimicked his, "Yeah…me, too."

"Can you make us something, Gohan?"

"Yeah, Mom's not up yet. And it's past lunch!"

"Why isn't she up yet?"

"Did she forget about us?"

Sighing, Gohan put his book down and stood up from the table and went over to the refrigerator, "I'm sure she didn't, you guys. Maybe she was just up late last night and doesn't feel like getting up yet. That happens sometimes, ya know. What do you want anyway?"

"Spaghetti!" Goten offered.

"Pizza!" shouted Trunks.

The two looked at each other for a moment, as though challenging the other on what food would win in the end. But they soon smiled and threw their hands into the air, "Spaghetti _and_ pizza!"

Gohan's eyes dulled, "I should've known something like that would come out…" he mumbled under his breath before getting out the pizza from the freezer and the angel hair spaghetti from the cupboard. No use in fighting with them, though.

He himself was almost wondering why Bulma wasn't up and going yet…after all, it was after noon. Very rarely did he ever find her to sleep in past eleven, even when she was working on one of her newest inventions vigorously. Even so, he didn't think she had been active in any of her projects lately, especially since his dad was here for a week. Once his dad came into mind also, he had to blush. That could be a _big _reason of why Bulma _and _his dad aren't "up" yet. If his mind wasn't occupied, he would have been down for some kind of food some time ago. Shaking his head, he subconsciously put the pizza in the oven and turned it on to three-fifty. He warned Bulma…he remembered.

And she didn't heed his advice. She was going to be so down when it was time for him to leave again…he knew this for sure. Plus, he didn't want to go through what he went through four years ago again…Bulma being so depressed that she leads herself to death like his mom did. Bulma was smart and all, but Gohan was one to believe in dying caused by a broken heart. It happened.

"So lets assume that didn't happen…" Gohan said aloud unknowingly.

"Huh?" both Goten and Trunks asked, confused on where the announcement came from.

Gohan wasn't stupid, but it didn't exactly take a genius to figure out that the two were messing around. What if she ended up pregnant again? That would just leave her with a forth child she would have to take care of as a single parent. That was the last thing Bulma needed. And even though she wouldn't ask him, he would help out, which would put more pressure on him. It wasn't easy helping raise Trunks and Goten with her and he knew it wouldn't be any better if there was another baby. When did everything get so messed up…

"Gohan!"

Hearing his name being screamed, he snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at the two kids who were looking up at him.

"What is it?" he finally responded, blinking twice.

Goten spoke up, "When are you going to make the spaghetti?"

Looking down in his hands, Gohan noticed that he still held the spaghetti box and hadn't bothered to put the strands into the pot yet…heck, he didn't even bother to fill a pot with water yet.

"Oh…heh, sorry, guys," he apologized, getting the pot and putting it under the faucet to shoot water inside it.

Goten and Trunks looked at each other, question marks in their eyes. What had just happened? Gohan looked so distressed and out of it…something they haven't seen him do in a very long time. They were wondering if they should even bother asking, but finally decided against it. Last time Gohan got like that and they inquired him, he snapped at them, and that was one thing they did not enjoy at all.

Gohan, having his back towards the kids, looked down into the water filled pot with sorrowful eyes. Just when he was beginning to get used to things…he had a feeling history was about to repeat itself…

**********

Later that day, around four-thirty or so, Goku and Bulma were just then finishing with their sessions, mostly due to the annoying insisting of Goku's stomach.

"I hope Gohan kept Goten and Trunks occupied…I would hate to see what the house looks like if he couldn't keep them under control," Bulma spoke after she finished putting her shirt over her head. She looked at herself in the mirror to see that she looked okay.

"I'm sure they're fine," Goku spoke up, tying his sash, "Gohan can handle it."

Bulma sighed and turned back towards him, "You're right…" Seeming as though she forgot it immediately, she grinned at her new lover and walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck when she reached him. She stood on her tiptoes, also lowering his head gently, and kissed him softly. All morning…and afternoon…and a lot of evening…they had shared many passionate kisses, but now was the down time. The time to be gentle.

She pulled away quickly, however, "I hope Gohan doesn't suspect anything…"

Goku mimicked her grin from earlier, resting his hands on her hips, "I bet he does."

Eyes widening, she smacked him playfully in the chest, stepping away from him, "Don't say that! You'll make me feel odd around him."

Tilting his head to one side, Goku gave a look of confusion, "Huh? Why's that, Bulma?"

Her eyes went dull, "Never mind…"

~*~

__

All the rest of that day, all five of us decided to go shopping. Goku mentioned that he felt kind of bad that he wasn't spending that much time with the kids, so he wanted to do something all of us could do. I didn't argue with him, after all, it made my day that much better to see how much fun the boys were having.

That night, again, Goku and I couldn't keep our hands off of each other. It would start off with small caresses, but eventually lead to small kisses, which in turn ended with us entangled within each other once more. It was so perfect…I knew it would be like this forever.

Of course, when I thought of forever, that's when I remembered forever was only two more days. To tell the truth, however…that completely slipped my mind. Don't ask me how I forgot something like that, but it seemed that I got so caught up in the romantic moments I had with Goku, that…I made myself believe something that was not. Sure, Goku and I shared great times. We found love again. With each other, nonetheless. We got connected…we bonded. And it was because of that greatness that made the days fly by that much faster.

That's right.

Before I knew it…just one week was up. We had spent the last few days together with the kids, having some time alone, but…not as much as I would have liked. Nights were our time…to stay up half the night making love, talking, or just laying in each other's arms. By the end of his last day with us, you could tell what would be happening the next day around ten-thirty. Everyone was sad. I'm not sure who was more depressed, me or Gohan. But because of those bad vibes radiating off of us, Goten and Trunks also felt low. They were old enough to understand what was going to happen.

Goku, of course, didn't want any of us feeling sorrowful. I'm telling you, I had no idea how he kept that cheerful smile plastered on his face for us when I knew for a fact that it was killing him inside, also. Sure, his eyes held that same something he's always had in them, but once I looked deeper…I saw that he was dying. Not just in body, but in mind.

On his last night, after the boys fell asleep around midnight, we shared something else. A deeper bond. An impossibly deeper bond. I don't know how to explain it. But as we became one for probably the last time, we made sure to hold each other tight, to go slow to make it last as long as possible, to talk to each other, to reassure the other that they'll be there no matter what…to cry.

I never thought I would witness Goku crying over something like this…but when I felt myself coming to my climax, knowing it would all be over soon, I couldn't help but let out a shard gasp before tears began sliding down the side of my face. He wiped my eyes…told me not to cry. But as he said it, his own voice cracked. He let two tears of his own out, shuddering when I felt them land on my cheeks.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was the early morning of Goku's last day and everyone was up to spend his last few hours with him. Goten and Trunks didn't say much, not wanting to let their voices show what their faces already did.

They all sat in the middle of the couch, huddled together as best as possible. On one side of Goku sat Bulma, Trunks half on her lap and half on his. On the other, Gohan with Goten half on his lap also. No one knew specifically what to say, so they decided to reminisce on all the good times they shared in the short week. They laughed at some of their memories, which both felt good, yet wrong at the same time. Should they really be laughing on such a tragic day?

It happened too quickly. Before any of them knew it, they heard Baba's voice outside, calling for Goku. They all looked at each other for a moment before Goku made the first move of getting up and heading out the door, followed very closely by his family.

"Are you ready, Goku?" Baba asked when they all stepped out of Capsule Corp., showing a wrinkly smile at the crew.

Goku himself gave a halfhearted smile, "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose…"

Baba nodded, floating a little higher on her crystal ball, her voice coming out even more raspy now, "I'll give you a few more minutes to say your good byes." 

He in turn nodded, thanking her silently. He turned back to Bulma, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks, seeing them all trying their best to hold back their tears. He smiled more, hoping that would cheer them up a little bit. He first stepped towards Goten and Trunks, kneeling down to their eye level.

"I have to be going now, guys."

That was all he had to say before the two children burst into tears, throwing themselves on him, each taking a separate shoulder as they gripped onto his gi tightly.

"Don't go, Daddy!" Goten sobbed, shaking his head as he let his tears disappear within his father's orange clothing.

"Can't you stay a little longer?" Trunks asked softly, having just a bit more control over himself than Goten. He sniffed loudly; trying to hold everything back, since he knew everyone was watching him.

"I wish I could…" Goku said gently, hugging both of the boys close to him in a final hug. After a moment, the boys knew it was time to let go, leading them to take a step back and look down at the ground, sniffing uncontrollably to keep their tears from falling.

Goku stood back up to his rightful height, then taking a few steps to the side to stop in front of Gohan. Again, he smiled and put his hand on his oldest son's shoulder, "Looks like you're the man of the house again, Gohan."

Gohan, in his best attempts, tried to give a smirk, "Yeah, guess so…" Even Gohan lost control. He took a step forward, paused, and then wrapped his arms around his father. He didn't cry, but it took everything within him not to. In a whispered voice, he spoke so only Goku could hear, "I'll miss you, Dad…things aren't the same without you."

Nodding, Goku simply patted him on the back, "I'll miss you, too, Son."

Separating, Goku again took a few steps down the line, then standing in front of Bulma. She had been looking down at the grass she stood on, finding it hard to believe that it was that very spot where she had first met Goku a week earlier. Never in all her life did she feel a week could have gone by so quickly. She saw him step in front of her, leaving her to suck in a deep breath for courage, put on a fake smile, and look up at her best friend. Bulma didn't have time to do anything else. Goku was the one that wrapped her up in his arms, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. So much for keeping control. As soon as she felt his arms around her, her face scrunched up into a pain she hoped she would never have to feel. Her once again bright, blue eyes sparkled with tears, her hands gripping onto his sides. She opened her mouth to speak, but found that she could form no words. Were any words even appropriate for a time like this?

"I love you, Bulma," he whispered into her ear, leaving her that much more vulnerable to the tear ducts. 

He was only able to hold her for a few more moments before he heard Baba behind him.

"It's time to go now, Goku."

Goku nodded while still having his face buried, giving her a hard squeeze without hurting her, only then being able to let go. He looked into her eyes, leaving him with all his strength to keep a smile while seeing her blurry orbs.

He felt himself floating up. Baba was then taking him back to the other world. As he rose above the rest, he saw all their sad faces looking up at him. With one last final wave, he began to turn around so he could watch as the sky became closer, silently saying goodbye to all of them.

It was only then that Bulma could speak. Something within her snapped, making her eyes go wide and her legs wobble until she fell to her knees, "No…Goku…come back. Goku…" Bulma squeezed her eyes closed, pounding her fists on the ground, and screamed her heart out, _"Goku, don't you dare leave me! Come back, Goku!" _And that was all she could do. Tears made small wet spots on the cement, her body shaking with madness.

"Come back…" she said in her normal voice as though he were standing right beside her. Subconsciously, she could feel Gohan wrap an arm around her, trying to comfort her…but nothing could help her now. She let Goku slip through her fingers too easily…and now he was gone.

As Goten and Trunks watched their mother break down in front of their eyes, Gohan felt himself go eerily still. He knew this was going to happen. He _knew! _Didn't he warn her!? Didn't he tell her?! Bulma knew this was going to happen, he told her enough. And now…now he was being reminded of what happened four years ago. He closed his eyes in an attempt to keep his sanity. No…it wouldn't happen again. Bulma would get over this. She just had to.

Up high in the sky, both Goku and Baba had heard Bulma's desperate pleas. Goku's eyes saddened again as he scanned over the ground that was getting smaller and smaller with each passing second. His eyes weren't the only ones that held sorrow. Baba was heartbroken at the dramatic moment. She gave Goku a side-glance before sighing softly, talking quietly to herself.

"Maybe I can do something to help…"

----------

Hey! I'm sorry I took so long to update again, but I lost this story when my computer crashed and kinda got disappointed. Then…I find out my dad put it on a floppy disk. -_- Yeah….anyway, I'm sorry if this chapter seemed to go by quickly, but I really had no other ideas of what they could do. And besides…this story is winding down to its last moments. About three more chapters should wrap everything up. …That's kinda sad, now that I think about it. I loved this story…I'm gonna miss it! ::cries a river::


	12. Same As Ever

**__**

Just One Week

XII.

Days past, but I still couldn't find the strength to accept the fact that Goku was gone. Maybe I couldn't find the courage to get over it. I knew I should…somewhere in the back of my mind, I was screaming at myself to move on with my life again as though the whole week Goku was here was nothing more than a dream. However, somewhere deep in my heart, something was telling me not to give up, that this whole thing wasn't over quite yet. I hate it when my mind and heart battle…my heart always seems to win. Guess it likes to break.

My mind wasn't the only thing screaming at me…Gohan was getting pretty fed up with my pitiful act, too. He tried to be as nice and as sympathetic as he could, I could tell, but I know he saw me going through what Chi-Chi went through. One day he did snap at me in a gentle way. Sounds like a paradox, yes, but that's how those Son's are. It was a good thing he did though…it made me open my eyes a little more so I could truly see what was happening before me.

I saw that I wasn't the only one that was hurt when Goku left. Gohan, Goten, and Trunks were all brokenhearted over the ordeal, also. Of course, I apologized to them in the best way I could. Even then, they could still tell I was down, which made them feel low. I figured I had to try harder. Only a week had past since Goku left though…did they really expect me to forget about it in the snap of a finger?

Well…I tried my best for them. I busied myself with the boys and working on latest inventions, if any ideas happened to come to mind. And it actually worked. …Really it did.

Then came a week and a half. And everything seemed to fall apart all over again.

It happened Wednesday night around eleven o'clock. I was sitting in my front lab, working on Kami knows what…

* * * * * * * *

Grabbing a small screwdriver off of the wooden desk that she sat beside, Bulma turned the object she held in her hand over. She put the point to the indent in the screw, twisting to the right to tighten it. She wasn't quite sure what she was working on; it looked almost similar to the Dragon Radar. The kids were in bed, however, and she wasn't tired, so she had to do something to keep her mind occupied.

It had been a rough week for all of them. Even though Goku was only there for a week and they spent all those years coping without him, it seemed as though he were there for much longer than seven days. And yet at the same time, it seemed like those seven days were equivalent to two days. Where did the time go?

Bulma remembered the one night…about four days after Goku left…she heard Goten screaming in the middle of the night. She was sure that took about ten years off of her life and what she saw when she entered Trunks and Goten's room took another ten off. Goten was cuddled up in the far corner of the room, his head buried in his lap with his knees up to his chest and his arms around his legs. Trunks was sitting Indian style in front of him, his eyes holding much commiseration.

As she stepped further into the room and turned the light on, she could distinctly see Goten's small body shaking from his sobs, though only a few sniffles were heard from him.

"Goten? Baby, what's wrong?" She asked him with much concern in her voice. Pulling her robe that she happened to grab before she went out the door tighter around her, she kneeled down in front of him and reached out to gently touch his shoulder, "Goten?"

It was then that the young boy decided to look up at his mother, his eyes red and puffy from crying, his bottom lip trembling as an indication that he wasn't done.

"I want Daddy."

She never knew three simple words could break her heart into a million more pieces than what it already was. And even though she tried to be strong for him, she couldn't help but have to bite her bottom lip as her vision blurred. Bulma simply pulled his frail body towards her in a strong embrace. She rocked him back and forth, her eyes closed and shushing him through her teeth.

Hearing a small sound behind her, she slightly turned her head to look to the doorway, seeing Gohan standing there, looking just as helpless as she felt. She tried to give him a small smile of reassurance, but he walked out of sight before she could do any such thing.

Bulma was jolted from her tragic flashback when one of her tools that was sitting in the middle of the table got rocked and rattled to roll off the desk. She looked down at the bigger screwdriver and wondered what made it suddenly fall off. 

Her question was soon answered when a loud bang rang throughout Capsule Corp., followed by a blaring, insistent beeping that also made the bottom half of the building shake with warning.

She stood up quickly from her wheeling chair, setting her invention down on the table. She ran out of her front lab quickly and began heading for her back lab, since that was where the sounds seemed to be originated from. It sounded so much like a space ship…but she couldn't believe it. She didn't have any space ships in her home now, so one couldn't have accidentally gone off. Unless a ship was coming in…but only Capsule Corp. ships landed in her back lab and no one had used a space ship since…

Since Vegeta left almost five years ago.

The thought alone made her heart beat even quicker than it already was, which made her wonder if she was about to have a heart attack. She didn't want to waste any time, however, and got to her lab in record time. From her running speed, she smacked into the automatic doors that led into her lab, her hands just barely stopping her from hitting her face. She watched her shaky hands press in the familiar seven-digit number to get inside, surprised her mind was still on the right track to remember such a thing.

After the green button sounded, she stood directly in front of the doors that seemed to suddenly open in slow motion. Her large, aqua eyes were unblinking as she saw more and more of her lab with each passing second, her eyes widening that much more when she spotted the tremendous space ship that took up the whole lab. Above the ship, the translucent roof just closed, having been open to let the ship inside.

Bulma felt her mouth open slightly when she recognized the ship as it began to come more and more into view as all the smoke and fog was clearing out from the hot engine. Her eyes fell to the four-digit number that was located on the door of the ship: 1695

That was the number of the ship Vegeta took. 

"It can't be…" Bulma whispered to herself, taking a slow and cautious step into the lab. She subconsciously heard the doors close behind her, but was more focused on the door of the ship that was slowly opening more to become a ramp.

She had to wonder what kept her courage up enough to simply stand there and wait for who she knew was inside the ship. Did she really want to see him that bad to just stand there and wait for him to make his all mighty appearance? Shouldn't she sound some sort of alarm or get Gohan? No…she wanted to see him.

And see him she did, for it took him no more than ten seconds to walk up to the platform, his arms crossed and his stance full of as much arrogance as ever. His spiky hair still defied gravity, his dark orbs as blank and as venomous as always.

Bulma clenched her shirt over her chest tightly in her right hand, her knees feeling a bit shaky, "Vegeta…"

Though she no more than whispered his name, he seemed to hear her clearly as his eyes averted from down the ramp over to her. Seeing her there put a cocky smirk to his lips, his feet taking one step in front of the other to walk down the ramp, not even pausing when he reached the bottom. He walked towards her and Bulma happened to notice that he looked the same as ever…his body still clad in his tight, blue Saiyan uniform, his hands covered with those white gloves and his feet clad in white boots. The same…everything exactly the same.

Vegeta stopped about five feet in front of her, his smirk never failing him as he looked on at her unmoving form. However, it didn't take long for his smirk to fall into a hard frown, his eyes glaring into hers, "You look as pathetic as ever."

Hearing his rough voice speak to her snapped her out of whatever she had been lost in. She swallowed coarsely and opened her mouth to speak, wincing as she heard her voice come out sounding tiny, like a five-year-olds, "What…what are you doing here?"

That was the question he seemed to be hoping for, for his smirk came back and he stood up straighter. He uncrossed his arms, however, and clenched his fists in front of him. He definitely gave the impression that he was ready for a good fight, "Kakarot is here."

Simple enough. Bulma's mind forced itself to go into overdrive and she realized that Vegeta must have felt Goku's ki level when he was wherever in space and came to check it out. 

Boy, was he going to be disappointed when he found out he came back a little too late…

Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to regain control of herself before she broke down from too many sudden emotions. Slowly, she opened her eyes again and locked them onto his; "He's not here."

Vegeta's smirk faded again. His eyebrows narrowed down further as he took a step towards her, "What do you mean he's not here? Where is he?"

"He's dead." Bulma stated bluntly, figuring she might as well not even go into details unless it was absolutely necessary. After all, even when he did come back to them for a week, he still was technically dead.

He growled and took another menacing step towards her, only half wondering why she wasn't backing away from him, "I felt him, though! Kakarot was on planet Earth! There was no way I could have felt him if he was still dead!"

"Do you feel him now?" Bulma asked quickly, her eyes narrowing down, also. Quite frankly, she was already getting fed up with him and felt her urge to fight with him come back just as strongly as it was before, "Don't blame me because you made a stupid mistake."

Before she could have a second thought about what she said, her back was pounded against the doors behind her, a short grunt leaving her mouth from the pressure. She felt dizzy for a moment before she noticed that Vegeta was pinning her shoulders to the wall, his face directly in front of her.

She could feel his hot breath on her skin, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She was sure her eyes flashed with fear for a moment, but she quickly reclaimed herself and looked back into his eyes that held equal anger. 

"You still have some nerve, don't you?" His voice seemed more gruff when it was up close to her, and it made her shiver when she remembered how she used to feel about that. And just for a moment, she had to wonder why she was reacting the way she was towards Vegeta. Sure, she knew she would never be able to throw him off of her, but why wasn't she even trying to struggle? Did she somehow know that he wouldn't harm her and let her go eventually?

Bulma moved her face closer to his, allowing herself a smirk now while her right hand slid down to the side of the door, "Looks like nothing has changed." Her index and middle finger came in contact with a button that was on the wall. She pressed in and the doors behind her opened quickly this time. 

Even Vegeta wasn't expecting this movement, for he hardly caught himself, let alone Bulma. She let out a small squeal as she began to fall backwards, but was surprised when she fell into someone else's arms. Blinking twice, she looked up at her hero and widened her eyes when she saw who it was.

"Gohan!?" She quickly scrambled out of his arms and stood in the middle of the two guys.

Gohan glared diggers into Vegeta and talked to Bulma at the same time, "I heard all the noises and felt the house shaking and decided to see what was going on. I told Goten and Trunks to go back to bed, but…" the boy slowly lowered himself into a fighting position, just waiting for Vegeta to attack, "I figured I could handle this."

Vegeta no more than crossed his arms over his chest again and snickered, closing his eyes with arrogance.

Bulma looked back and forth between them before saying the first thing that came to mind, "Gohan, go back to bed."

Gohan's eyes widened to their normal stature in a second, his orbs full of complete confusion as she stood up to his full height again, "What?"

"You heard me," she said firmly, "go back to bed."

"B-but…" his eyes roamed back over to Vegeta, who simply stood there as though he expected Bulma to say that. He averted his gaze back to Bulma who looked back at him with knowing in her eyes. He wanted nothing more than to argue with her right then, but he knew that when Bulma had her mind made up, there was no going against her. 

He let out a heavy sigh, glared at Vegeta once more, and turned around, "Yes, Bulma…"

She watched him go around the bend and listened to him going slowly back up the stairs before turning back to Vegeta. She gasped, however, when she saw that he was once again at a close enough distance to pin her to the wall. And he did just that. This time he had her by the wrists, though, so she had no way of getting free.

"It was a wise idea to send him away," Vegeta commented, his eyes setting her on fire before he continued, "for him. You saved him from getting his ass kicked. Now…as for you…" his smirk grew, his face leaning in more towards her, only stopping when his body was directly pressed against hers and his lips were near her left ear, "I can't say that was very smart."

Feeling his fiery breath in her ear made her eyes clench shut and her back arch towards him a bit, her lips parting slightly. She chuckled hoarsely from somewhere deep in her throat, "Oh? And what makes you say that?"

He mimicked her chortle and squeezed her wrists tighter, "Who knows what I'll do to you. Or…" Vegeta pulled away from her ear so he could look at her face, noting how her eyes were closed tightly, "do you want it to be a surprise?"

Bulma's eyes snapped open to reveal a bright fire burning in the depths of ocean blue. That seemed to be answer enough for Vegeta, because before she knew it, she was no longer pressed against the wall outside of her lab, but rather standing in front of her bed in her bedroom.

"You asked for it."

~*~ 

__

I don't know why I did it…I don't know why it happened…and I really can't say how it happened. Wasn't I just working in my lab on something? Wasn't I just sitting there and having a flashback on something that happened earlier that week? How did I end up in my bedroom with Vegeta? Quite truthfully, I hardly remember that either. I…I can't explain it. I just don't understand how I could let something like this happen. I was scared of him. I could feel my heart beating in that certain way that let me know how terrified I was. The weird part was, it was also beating with excitement. Was I that stimulated from being frightened? It was a very strange feeling I'm sure I'll never be able to comprehend.

But as I went through all the events…as I opened the doors and saw Vegeta, as Vegeta spoke and I insulted him, as he pushed me against the doors, as I fell back when I pushed the button, as I fell into Gohan's arms, as I told him to leave us, as Vegeta pushed me against the wall again and began seducing me…I was very aware of everything that was happening. Sort of. Okay, so it felt more like a dream than anything. Who knows, maybe I was so tired, I actually believed it was a dream.

I don't remember sleeping with Vegeta, though. I know it happened, however, because as always, there was the morning after. It was the morning after that left me feeling more guilty than I ever felt before. I felt like I betrayed Goku…even though I shouldn't have, since he was, after all, dead again. He wasn't with me…so didn't that leave me as a free woman? One would think so, but I sure didn't feel like that. Truth be told, I felt more like a whore. And I never thought I would feel like that.

I can truthfully say, however, that I was quite glad that Vegeta was not there when I woke up the next day. That's right, he left sometime during the night, taking the ship once again and going back into space. Guess all he was looking for was a good fight with Goku, and since he couldn't get that, he was aiming for a good fuck with me…excuse my language.

I never felt more used in my life. But I couldn't fully blame Vegeta, after all, I did melt in the palm of his hands pretty quickly.

Oh Kami…what have I done…


	13. Fear

**__**

Just One Week

XIII.

Well, life went on just like it always did. One day past, followed by one week, followed by one month. It was just one big cycle, turning round and round and it never seemed to stop, no matter how much you wanted it to.

Goten and Trunks became their normal selves again, but I suppose that's reasonable; after all, they are still young. They heal quicker in every aspect. Gohan however…began to have a different demeanor around me. Ever since that night when Vegeta came, I noticed the new look Gohan had for me. Before, he looked thankful and pleased that I was always there for him and his brother and for taking them in as though they were my own. He always gave me this knowing look that I would be a great influence on all of them. Now, he looked at me with nothing but sorrow and shame.

And believe me, nothing makes you feel lower than when a sixteen-year-old looks at you, a full grown adult, in such a way. I can't blame him, however. I feel that I did let him down. I was no better than Vegeta was. I thought Gohan would get over it eventually though…after all, like I said, life goes on.

But after about a month and a half went by, instead of the situation getting better, it seemed to have gotten worse. Gohan wasn't just looking at me with eyes showing all that humiliation and remorse, but his eyes took on a new emotion: fear. And that's when the brand new nightmare began.

Literally. After the first couple of days I saw Gohan doing that, it began to haunt me in my sleep. Why was he looking at me like that? I swear, I would spend hours on end looking at myself in the mirror and wondering what it was that he saw that I didn't seem to catch. Sure, I wasn't looking my best…I began to get dark circles under my eyes again, my blue eyes weren't so bright anymore, and I saw a few wrinkles forming at the side of my mouth. But that's what came with age, I suppose…and after everything, I can't say I don't deserve it all.

I began having to wake up some time in the middle of the night or early in the morning to puke my guts out. He was just having me so worried, lack of sleep and stress was catching up to me. I wanted to confront Gohan about it, I really did, but every time I tried to have a "nice" conversation with him, he would say no more than a couple words before he declared he should go check on the boys.

Until finally, one day, Gohan broke down just as I did…

* * * * * * * *

Bulma stood in the kitchen, leaning against one of the counters while she tried to decide what to make for lunch. It was a Saturday, and she usually tried to make something a bit bigger since the boys liked to go out and train afterwards. As she looked around the kitchen, however, she couldn't find anything worth it. Sure, there was tons of food every which way, but nothing that seemed to catch her interest. She sighed; maybe she should just order pizza.

When that was finally decided, she walked the short distance over to the phone, feeling weak when she felt that was a great challenge. Bulma put her hand to her forehead, realizing how dizzy and hot she felt. Maybe she was coming down with something…

Picking up the phone on the wall with her free hand, she pressed the button that was labeled 'Pizza' to connect with the pizza parlor that they all seemed to like best. She heard the ten-digit number being pressed in automatically, waiting for a second before she heard that annoying busy signal.

She hung up the phone simply, deciding to wait a couple more minutes. She agreed in her head that it was Saturday and pizza places seemed to be the busiest on the weekend.

While she waited, she decided to grab a tablet that was sitting on the counter and write down what she wanted to order. That way, she wouldn't have to think of anything right off the top of her head. Of course, she would order what she always ordered when getting pizza, but right then, she felt as though she didn't know what she would say if she had to speak off the top of her head.

Bulma picked up the phone and pressed the button again after a few minutes, sighing a bit heavily from frustration when she heard that the line was still busy.

"Couldn't that place get more than one phone?" she said loudly before hanging the phone back up rather roughly.

Not knowing what else to do, she leaned against the wall beside the phone, her arms wrapped protectively around her abdomen. She had her hair up in a ponytail and was able to feel the coolness of the kitchen wall on the back of her neck. Closing her eyes, she hoped the feeling would travel to the rest of her body, but was disappointed when the wall seemed to heat up from her body heat rather quickly.

She felt like beating the crap out of the wall for doing that.

"Damn hormones…" she commented in a mumble before turning to the side and once again repeating the process to call the pizza parlor. And once again, there was nothing but that annoying, continuous _beep…beep…beep…beep…_

Without even thinking about it, Bulma screamed through clenched teeth and slammed the phone down hard enough to make it echo throughout the kitchen for moments to come. She stomped her foot on the kitchen floor a couple of times, feeling all the more frustrated that the childish act wasn't doing anything to help matters.

"Kami, why can't they just—?!"

"Bulma?"

She stopped in mid-sentence, turning around one hundred and eighty degrees too quickly for her own good. She had to put her foot out to keep her balance and wait a good second or two before her vision stopped spinning, "What do you want!?"

She stopped again when she saw that it was Gohan who called her name, standing awkwardly in the doorway. The young man looked a bit hurt that she snapped at him like that, but showed no sign of turning away and leaving her to finish her temper tantrum.

Sucking in a deep breath, Bulma closed her eyes for a moment before opening them back up to give Gohan a more calm look, "I'm sorry, Gohan…did you need something?"

Gohan didn't answer, nor did he move. He only stared at her…stared at her in that certain way that made Bulma shiver. No, it held no hatred or wanting to harm, it held something that clenched her heart.

Quite surprised when he began taking a few steps towards her, she was even more shocked when she found that she couldn't take a few steps back. She wished nothing more than to turn away from him right then, for the closer he got, the further she fell.

The shame and sorrow from his eyes were long gone. Now, his watery glance held nothing but that fearfulness. Her eyes widened at this realization, subconsciously clenching and unclenching her fists at her sides. She suddenly wondered how deep they were getting without even speaking a word. Her question was soon answered when Gohan made one single movement of falling down on his knees, his arms going around her waist to hold her close. Bulma looked down at the boy in bewilderment, especially when he laid his head against her flat stomach.

"Go-Gohan?" she questioned, her voice choked up from panic. Her hands instinctively found their way to rest on his shoulders, feeling how he shook underneath her hands. And though he was just as tall, if not taller, than her when he stood to his full height, right now, he looked as though he were nothing more than a child needing to be released of his fears.

Bulma felt a single tear slide down her cheek as her hands then came in contact with his soft, spiky hair, running her fingers back through his mane, "Gohan…" she barely heard herself whisper his name, not sure what else her voice may reveal as she went on, "what's wrong? What happened?"

"Why didn't you listen to me?" Gohan finally spoke after a couple of minutes of unsure silence. He turned his head forehead so he was able to press his face right into her stomach before looking up at her. That's when she saw that he wasn't crying, but how much he wanted to. Her shirt that she wore rubbed on his eyes, making them more red and puffy from all the pressure he was holding inside of them.

"Why didn't you just trust me?" He asked again before feeling too pitiful to look up at her any longer. It was his turn to suck in a deep breath, trying his hardest to reclaim himself as he stood up again.

Bulma looked at him, her eyes shaking uncontrollably, attempting to find out what he was talking about by looking in his eyes, but to no avail, "I…I don't know what you're talking abou—."

"Yes, you do!" Gohan suddenly screamed, making them both jump in surprise. He raised his hands to grip her shoulders roughly and shake her once. He saw that he may have been holding her a bit too tight, for she winced; but he just _had _to get through to her!

"Bulma, four years isn't that long ago! Don't you remember what happened? My mother died! And don't you remember why she died?" Gohan still never shed a tear, though his eyes began to feel quite heavy from all the pressure. He was determined, "I won't let history repeat itself!"

Her eyes widened once more as she stared at Gohan with a blank gaze. _No…please let me be assuming wrong…all wrong…_

She was brought forward when Gohan wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing her body roughly to his. Her arms hung limply at her sides as her eyes continued to stare into nothingness, her mind forgetting to tell her to blink.

However, she was aware enough to hear what Gohan then whispered in her ear:

"Bulma…I can feel it…you're pregnant."

~*~

__

What was I supposed to do? Jump up and down for joy or go out and kill myself? Well, unfortunately and fortunately, I didn't do either. In fact, I hardly remember doing anything. Gohan continued to hold me and, quite truthfully, I didn't have a single word to say. After he told me, however, he kept letting me know that he would be there for me through and through, so I didn't have to do anything rash.

Oh dear Kami…what in the world was I putting this poor boy through? He must have felt the baby growing inside of me for awhile now and that's where the fear came from. Gohan must have thought I would end up like Chi-Chi. And now…I know why Chi-Chi wanted to give up. Knowing that the father was gone for good and leaving you with nothing but a child…it was a scary thing. 

Sure, Vegeta left when Trunks was no more than a year old, but at least I already had him. I didn't have to go through the labor and everything alone. No, Vegeta wasn't right beside me when I was having Trunks, but it got me through it well enough just knowing that Vegeta wasn't too far away…maybe just on the other side of the Earth.

I guess I scared Gohan when I didn't say a single word about the pregnancy after he told me…not a word of pity, nor a word of hope. It felt like I was just…there. With another child growing inside of me. And even when Gohan pulled me away gently and looked into my eyes, there was nothing I could say, except…

"Who's is it?"

What a dumb thing to say out of everything! Seriously, out of all the bad things I could have said, I think I said one of the worst. Who's is it…how pathetic.

I could tell the question threw Gohan off guard, but he answered me simply and truthfully…

"I don't know. That's beyond my ability."

Great…I was now left wondering who's child I was carrying. I told Gohan I was fine after I snapped myself out of whatever I was in and told him I needed some time alone. He understood and left me standing in the middle of the kitchen. I didn't even remember why I was there in the first place…shouldn't I have been doing something else?

Of course! I knew what I could do!

* * * * * * * *

Running out of the kitchen, Bulma made her way to her lab in record time. She opened the cabinet that was ceiling length on the far side of the room, rummaging through it as though her life depended on it. In a way, she felt that it did. 

"Come on…come on! Where is it! I know it has to be here somewhere…" she spoke loudly to herself, throwing useless things to the ground without a second thought. She heard some breakable things shatter and hard things clatter. But for one reason or another, she heard a certain clatter that caught her attention.

Stopping her attack on the cabinet, she slowly looked down to the floor, paying no attention to a lot of the glass that laid around the area. In the middle of all the shattered pieces was a long, rectangular object that she recognized instantly. For once in a great while, she felt her eyes light up.

"Bingo!" Bulma bent down and picked up the object, examining it closely to make sure it was all right. It looked technical, with a metal bottom that was crystalline to make out all the wires and gadgets inside. A long, tunnel like piece of metal lay over the platform, a screen on top with five small slots going through the middle. A cord hung off the back on the device, dragging along the floor as Bulma carried it over to her computer.

It was an invention of her father's, something he liked to call "DNA Counterpart." Dr. Briefs created it a long time ago when he thought it would be good for Capsule Corp. business, that is, until he found out the hard way that it was a complete failure when it came to his organization. Right then, Bulma found it to be her lifesaver.

She set it down beside her computer, turning on the monitor and averting her attention to the DNAC to figure out how it worked as the computer loaded. For starters, she pulled the cord towards her, plugging in the opposite end into the computer. Bulma watched as the small parts inside of it began turning, all the red lights illuminating to show power.

"So far so good."

She looked to the computer, seeing as how it automatically brought up everything that was needed to work the DNAC. She was quite thrilled to see that even though the invention was a failure, her father didn't erase anything on it.

Using her mouse, she left clicked the little blue word that said "Instructions," hoping they were simple and to the point so she wouldn't have to waste anymore time on figuring it out herself.

They were. She was happy to see only a small paragraph and read it aloud:

"Deoxyribonucleic Acid Counterpart (DNAC) is a fast and simple way to match genes. To work this device, simply plug in the cord to your monitor and it will come on automatically."

"Okay, well I already did that…" Bulma said under her breath, then seeing some categories to go to for what she wanted. She clicked on the one that said "Fetuses."

"If you are a woman who wants to know who the father of your unborn child is, the solution is simple. Get a strand of hair from each of the suspected fathers (can match up to five at a time) and put these on the glass on the Uppermost Constituent. This will bring the strands to your computer screen where you can watch as they are signaled. In the drawer found in the Conclusive Constituent, there is a safety needle that the mother will very gently stick in the side of her lower stomach, bringing out the needed blood for this device to work properly. If your product does not come with this needle or if you find that your needle is unclean for any reason, please call 62- blah, blah, blah…"

Bulma skimmed through the short section that she didn't find necessary and continued on to the last part.

"Finally, drop the blood into the container that is found right above the Uppermost Constituent. The device will scan this immediately, thus coming up on your computer screen. Once the match is done, the strand of hair that is matched with the blood will come up, eliminating the incorrect strand."

Bulma sulked back in her seat. Simple enough. One problem, however: neither of the father choices were here at the moment to get strands of their hair. She was planning on just getting a strand of hair from Trunks and then either Gohan or Goten…she just hoped the DNAC was able to find the answer from an indirect source. 

"Oh well…it's worth trying."

She got up from her chair and exited her lab, going on her search to find the boys. She was quite relieved when she found that she didn't have to go too far, for she found both Trunks and Goten sitting on the couch, watching one of their favorite Saturday cartoons.

Bulma walked up behind the couch, looking down at both of them. They seemed too intrigued from the cartoon to notice that she was standing behind them, so it was simple enough. She directly reached down and pulled a strand of hair out of each of their heads, not being able to hold back a small grin when they both jumped from surprise and reached up to hold their heads.

"Ow! What'd you do that for?" Trunks asked, rubbing his scalp with his right hand and looking up at her.

"Yeah, that hurt!" Goten added, holding his head with both hands to prevent her from doing it again.

"It was the only way to get your attention," she half lied, knowing that probably would have been the solution if she really did want their attention, "go find Gohan and tell him to order us some pizza."

The two young boys soon forgot about their pain, and their cartoon, as they jumped from the couch and ran to go find their big brother, "Okay!"

She watched them run off before looking down at her hands. In her left was a light strand of hair, and in her right was a dark strand. She closed her hands to hold onto the hair so they didn't magically disappear somewhere into the air.

Entering back into her lab, she went over and sat the strands of hair where she was supposed to on the DNAC, watching in slight amazement as some beeps were heard before Trunks and Goten's hair was on the screen. Sighing lowly, she then took out the needle from the bottom compartment, glad to see that there were also some cotton swabs and a small bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"He just thought of everything, didn't he?" she asked the air as she pulled up her shirt far enough to see the side of her stomach. She dabbed some alcohol onto the cotton and rubbed the area in which would be penetrated and quickly stuck the needle in, pulling up on the knob to draw some of her blood. Once she saw that it was full, she pulled it out and wiped the cotton over the area again, cleaning it and wiping away the excess blood. 

The simple thought of how Goku would have passed out at that moment brought a small smile to her face. She didn't know why she was doing this silly thing now…she knew it was Goku's child growing inside of her. She had that knowing feeling deep in her gut.

However, she decided to finish what she started, emptying the blood into the little box where she was told. Again, the computer made more beeping sounds as it clarified the information given. She sat there very still and silent, watching as the screen flashed to the blood and then to the hairs.

"It's Goku's…it has to be Goku's…" 

A small smile lit up her face as she continued to stare at the screen.

"It's Goku's…"

Just then, the computer seemed to freeze for a moment. Then she saw her blood appear on the left side of the screen, followed by an arrow that was pointing to the right, then the strand of hair that it matched closest to.

Her smile faded. 

It was the light strand of hair.

"It's Vegeta's…"

_______________

Wow…I didn't think the last chapter would give a lot of you so many clues. O.O; Guess there was too much foreshadowing there, eh? Oh well…

Well, as a Christmas present, I decided to hurry it up and get another chapter up instead of waiting for a whole month to update like I've been doing lately. Hope you enjoyed it…though it wasn't the happiest of chapters. ^^;

Merry Christmas!


	14. Yet Another Surprise

**__**

Just One Week

XIV.

So it turned out to be Vegeta's, huh? After all the time's I sleep with Goku…then I go and sleep with Vegeta once and it turns out to be his. How horribly ironic. But I guess there wasn't much I could do. Heh, my inventions haven't come along that far yet to actually change the genes all around like that. I would feel guilty doing that anyway…changing my baby for my own benefit. How selfish would that be?

Though…I almost felt like I would just be adding to the list of all the other times I've been selfish. But I'm not going to go into that right now.

Right now, I'm trying to turn my selfish ways around and put my mind on the boys instead of focusing on my problems. I don't think Goten and Trunks suspect anything, but Gohan's a different story. 

Gohan never did ask me if I found out who the baby's father was. Maybe he didn't think I had the equipment to find out. Or maybe he just didn't want to know the truth. Maybe it would have been better if I didn't know the truth, either. Of course…it's too late to not know…I just don't know why I couldn't have just assumed it was Goku's and be done with it. I'm gonna tell the boys it's their sibling anyway…though in reality, it'll just be Trunks' brother or sister.

I know either way Gohan would accept my baby for what and whose it is, but deep down, I'm sure he'd be hurt. Shoot, he must have been quite hurt when he found out I was pregnant. "Boy, she sure does move fast, doesn't she?" Yeah, that's what I would be thinking about myself…

Oh, but the fun doesn't stop there! Ohhh no…the fun must keep going! And guess what? **I** didn't even cause it this time! Surprised? Me too…

I didn't find this out until I was a little over four months pregnant…

* * * * * * * *

"…So the little boy flew into space, not even throwing a glance over his shoulder at his home planet. This was definitely a new adventure for him, since usually his…"

Bulma sat in the middle of the large sofa in the living room, a book held in front of her as Goten and Trunks sat at each of her sides. They had insisted that she read them some sort of story since she hadn't done so in awhile and that was the one they picked out for her.

As soon as they sat beside her, however, and she opened the book, she noticed that they wouldn't be paying too much attention to her voice, but rather her stomach. Ever since she decided to tell the two younger boys that a baby was growing inside of her, they were more excited than she thought they'd ever be. And since she began showing not too long ago, the boys found it most intriguing to stare at her stomach for so long, just waiting for something to happen. Bulma of course told them that nothing would be happening for awhile now, but they insisted.

And sure enough, once Bulma took a small break in her reading to catch her breath, she caught both of them looking at her stomach. She smirked and shifted a bit.

"Did you see that?!" Goten exclaimed immediately, his eyes bigger than usual.

"Yeah, it moved!" Trunks agreed, curiosity pouring out of his eyes.

Bulma laughed a little, shaking her head, "You guys are something else, you know that?" She paused for a moment, then snapped her fingers above their heads, making them both look, "now pay attention. I'm not reading this for my own enjoyment."

"All right," they both said at once. However, Bulma noticed how their eyes went right back to her stomach. She sweat dropped, suddenly feeling as though she was really fat already and they were amazed by it. Just to get her mind off that horrible thought, she began reading again:

"He saw many things floating past him, such as comets, stars, toilets, and planets…"

"Hey, Bulma?"

Bulma looked up from the book and tilted her head back to look almost behind her over the couch at Gohan, "Yes?"

Slowly, he walked around the couch until he was beside it, standing by the arm of the couch. Bulma saw how he clenched his fists until his knuckles were white as he pressed them against the arm.

"Can I…talk to you for a moment?" he asked, his eyes looking a little tired as they lowered down to the book she was reading.

She blinked once before looking away from him, "Yeah, of course." She closed the book and leaned forward to set it on the coffee table in front of her, "It's time for these two to get to bed anyway."

"Awww, do we hafta?" they both inquired, though their eyes drooped with sleepiness.

"Yes, you hafta…" she mocked them in their same pleading voice, smiling a little when they pouted from that. They didn't argue with her any longer, though, as they both stood up, crossed their arms, and headed towards the stairs.

"Goodnight you two!" Bulma called after them, only hearing some mumbling as a reply.

She smiled to herself and then up at Gohan. She watched as he gradually moved his way around, sitting down slowly on the far end of the couch. His right hand still gripped the arm of the sofa while his left hand was now clenched in his lap. His eyes were narrowed down slightly as he stared at the coffee table like he was studying something intensely. Bulma noticed, nevertheless, that his eyes were just a little out of focus.

Her smile slowly began to fade. Oh no…what was it this time? Did Gohan find out she was pregnant by Vegeta? …did he suddenly want to tell her she was pregnant with triplets?! Her mind began to whirl at all the possibilities of what she did wrong now.

"Gohan…?" she began cautiously, licking her lips that unexpectedly went dry, "Is there…something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Gohan closed his eyes before sucking in a deep breath. He leaned back against the couch, trying to unclench his fists, "Yes…there is something."

Bulma felt her heart begin to race. Just when she thought things were calming down again. She thought she was doing pretty good, considering. She made sure to eat a lot, especially in front of Gohan to indicate that she wasn't about to leave him. She took care of herself, getting a new haircut not too long again and taking everyone out to go clothes shopping. She worked around the house so she wouldn't feel stiff and so she wouldn't have extra weight to lose when she finally had the baby. All together, she felt like she was a pretty happy person, considering.

"See…this thing happened…" Gohan began, opening his eyes and turning his head towards Bulma, though making sure not to make eye contact.

"Uh huh…?" Bulma encouraged him on, allowing him to take his time since it seemed like he was having a harder time saying this "thing."

"And this thing isn't good…well…in a way it is, but for the most part, this thing shouldn't have occurred."

Bulma nodded and turned to her side also, bring one leg up on the couch and resting her elbow on the back, her temple in her palm.

"This thing caused a lot of problems already, between…people," Gohan sighed and looked down at his hands that were now both in his lap, "and you seem like the only person that can help this thing."

Her eyes widened a bit. Okay, so she would just assume that this "thing" that happened wasn't her fault for once. She could help it. 

"Well…" she began, her tongue rolling on the "l" sound for awhile, "I'll try my best, but I think I should know what this thing is first."

He was still for a long moment. If he stayed quiet one more second, Bulma would have sworn that he suddenly passed out on her. She was even about to move closer to him to try to snap him out of it, but was held in her spot when Gohan finally captured her eyes. He looked full of determination to tell her now, though it seemed as though it would kill him.

"All right, well…I'm gonna start from the beginning, okay?" he told her, choosing the roundabout way to tell her what has happened.

Bulma nodded again, "Sounds good."

"Okay, as you know…things happened and—."

She held up her hand to stop him for a moment and let out a light chuckle, "Gohan, please, when you're telling your story, can you try to limit the amount of times you say 'thing'?"

"Oh!" Gohan blinked before a sheepish smile played on his lips before disappearing, "Sorry 'bout that, didn't know I said it again. Anyway…do you remember how I felt when I first found out you were pregnant?"

She nodded. Boy, did she remember all right. Gohan was scared out of his mind that Bulma would do a reenactment of what Chi-Chi did. He seemed really insecure about everything that was happening and mostly kept to himself. He was the main reason why Bulma did everything in her power to not look as though she were going down hill.

"Well, for awhile, I felt alone. I thought you and I were becoming distant and I didn't want to put Goten's and Trunks' spirits down when I hung around them," Gohan made sure to explain everything slowly and thoroughly. He ran his hand back through his hair, "One of my…friends at school noticed me acting different, though, and wanted to help…"

Bulma couldn't help but show him a small smile. By the way he said "friends" she just had to assume; "Videl?"

Gohan did a quick double take on her, obviously shocked that she suddenly guessed it, "Y-yeah…that's right." Bulma noticed how nervous he got all of a sudden again, "A-a-and, well…"

He stopped and sighed.

That was the only thing he had to say and do before Bulma caught on. And quite truthfully, she couldn't keep herself from widening her eyes to twice their size and drop her jaw, "You…you two slept together?!"

A deep blush flooded Gohan's face, even his neck, arms, and hands becoming red from embarrassment, "It's not like we meant for it to happen! I mean…one minute she was just trying to comfort me and then she…and then I…and we…" he sighed again, his head dropping, though his pupils were still looking over to her.

Bulma was speechless to say the least. One of the Son's…_Goku's _son…the moralistic and careful Gohan…sleeping with his girlfriend already?! Bulma would have found that ludicrous if she didn't hear it straight from Gohan's mouth.

"That's not the point, though," Gohan then spoke, snapping Bulma out of her disbelief. He shook his head as though he just contradicted himself, "I mean in a way it is, but…Bulma, Videl's pregnant."

There. He said it. And though he felt as though he should hang his head in shame, he kept his eyes on Bulma, watching to see what her next reaction would be. She simply stared at him as though she would need all the time in the world to have what he just said sink in.

__

Videl…pregnant…?

Usually, Gohan would have waited for her to comprehend the big news he had to say, but he couldn't stand not finishing it right then, "Two months pregnant, specifically. And…she just told her dad and he got really mad. He told her she had two days to find another place to live, because he didn't want to support her and her baby…though I'm sure he has enough money to," Gohan added the last part drying.

"…Anyway…" he went on cautiously, now wringing his hands around each other, "that's where I think you could help. Bulma, can Videl stay at Capsule Corp.? Please?"

Bulma continued to stare at him. For once in all her life, she could honestly say that she did not have a single word to say. She felt as though she could say so much, but nothing would come out. At the same time, she felt that anything she could say would be the wrong thing.

"Gohan, I…how could you let this happen?" Bulma finally spoke, hating how old and parent-like she sounded. Shaking her head a little, she moved to the edge of the couch to rest her elbows on her knees now, hiding her face in her hands.

Gohan tensed up, "I…I know I did wrong, Bulma, but…I can't…I…

"I'm so sorry," was his ending statement when he found nothing else that seemed well enough to say. And he truly was…he was sorry for putting more weight on Bulma's shoulders and for getting Videl kicked out of her house.

"I'm sure you are sorry, Gohan," Bulma's voice was slightly muffled, but Gohan still heard her quite clearly. One would think he would be able to shoot back at her for her irresponsibility, but alas…she knew this and she wasn't any seventeen-year-old.

Bulma then stood up very abruptly, making Gohan's head snap up to look at her, "Look Gohan…I'm not even going to waste my time lecturing you. I know you, and I know you know you did wrong. I'm still in shock that…that you did something like this, honestly, you're the last person in the world I ever suspected of doing so." She paused and sighed, "I'm not going to turn that poor girl away, however. She is welcome to stay here."

Gohan showed her a small smile of appreciation, "Thanks a lot, Bulma…it means a lot. And I promise, I'll do everything I can to help Videl myself. I'll get a job to support her and—."

"Yes, I know you will, Gohan…" Bulma interrupted him, "but I want you and Videl to worry more on finishing high school first."

He nodded and stood up, wrapping his arms around Bulma gently, yet firmly, "Thanks again."

~*~

__

…Please tell me that someone out there is just as surprised as I am. And I thought nothing would ever catch me off guard again…I am never going to assume anything again. Every time I do, something else decides to make its way into my life just to prove that it can surprise me.

I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in Gohan, but…I understand how passion can get the best of a person. By the sound of things, he's still trying to figure out how it all happened, too. Just like how I was, and still am actually, about Vegeta and I. As Gohan said, "It just kind of happened."

But though I was disappointed in him…I was also proud of him for doing something about it. Turning to me for help and asking if she could stay at Capsule Corp. was a good idea. I know a lot of boys his age that would rather disregard their pregnant girlfriend, let alone wanting her to move in and actually getting a job to help. Even though he's young, I have a strong feeling that he'll be a great dad. He was a wonderful help with Goten and Trunks and still is. I was kind of hoping he would wait to have children of his own until after he went to college, though. That way he would be able to get away from kids for awhile.

Guess that's out of the picture.

So now I'm pregnant and the newest addition to Capsule Corp. is pregnant…

Déjà vu or what? I'm gonna have my kid and I'm going to help raise someone else's…

Oh well, it'll be nice to have another girl in the house for once. Haven't had that since my mother.

And maybe…at least one of us will have a baby girl. I think that would be wonderful to raise a daughter for once…see if it's a different experience like some say it is.

Also, I suppose it will be easier to raise the two new babies with three adults in the house…if I dare call Videl and Gohan adults. I actually still think of them as kids themselves. What a shame…

I wonder if they'll have a wedding. How romantic would that be?

As you may or may not be able to tell, my spirits are lifting quite a bit. Sure, I don't have a man in my life, but I'll survive…I'm sure.

Just as long as I'm not completely alone…

-------

Hi everyone! I saw that I finally reached 200 reviews on this story and decided to give you guys yet another treat! Thank you all so much…you made me so happy… ::cries::

Anyway, I also wanted to let you know that I have another special (hopefully) treat for you guys in the upcoming chapter [Chapter 15 ]. I hope to get it up pretty soon and keep updating like I have been. And remember when I told you guys awhile back that this story was coming to an end? Well…things happened that even I didn't expect o.O and it seems like this story still has quite a few chapters in hand.

Once again, thank you!

Enula


	15. In Three Years

**__**

Just One Week

XV.

~ Goku's POV ~ ^_^

It had been two weeks since I had once again left to the other world, leaving my family and friends behind. And it was kinda weird. I mean…I was never afraid of dying; I never dreaded doing anything. But for some reason, as I flew up in the sky with Baba and looked back down at the ground, another side of me took over. A very…well, I don't know how to describe it, so I'm not even gonna go into it.

It made me really sad, I can say that. Especially when I heard Bulma calling out for me. Darn, I never wanted to hurt her. I guess I have a nick for causing things I don't mean to, heh. I just don't get why I didn't feel this way when I left the other two times. When my brother killed me, I felt no remorse. I just assumed that's because I knew all my friends would wish me back to life in one year. When I died fighting Cell, I felt no remorse because I knew it was for the better if I left.

Apparently, a lot of other people didn't agree with me. Of course, people usually don't like to agree with me, and I guess I can see why.

But it was great! Baba granted me one whole week to come back and see my friends and family again. I was planning on making the best of it and…ha, I did! I got to see Gohan again and even the son I never knew I had, Goten. I was hurt beyond belief that Chi-Chi let herself go like that, but I couldn't risk showing that and making my little vacation on Earth miserable.

Not only all that, but I also got closer to Bulma. It felt a bit weird at first, I mean…it was Bulma after all! Think about it. I decided to make the best of it since, after all, she was the one that was literally hanging all over me. And then after I gave into, my heart opened up to her and that was all that was needed. I fell in love with her.

Both of us seemed to have lost all sense of time, though. Before I knew it, Baba was right outside, telling me it was time to go. I didn't have a choice…and I wasn't about to fight it, no matter how much Bulma tried.

Once I got back to the other world, I wanted to leave Earth behind. I'm not saying that I wanted to forget about Bulma, Trunks, and my sons, but it wouldn't do me any good moping over it. Things would just go on for me like they have been for the past five years. Though…I was beginning to think that Baba was acting just a little strange. She was constantly giving me this weird look—erm—not that she didn't before or anything. 

Anyway, those two weeks past and she finally confronted me about what was on her mind.

* * * * * * * *

"Goku, there's something really important I want to discuss with you."

Goku had been out in one of the many open areas that were used for training, throwing multiple kicks and punches at the air. He was currently in his Super Saiyan two form, a bright blue aura surrounding his being. Many of the other fighters around him stopped to watch the amazing sight and his fast speed, though they had seen it for years now.

When he heard Baba address him, however, he quickly stopped, dropping his arms to his sides, his feet coming in contact with the ground. His golden hair came down a bit into its original spiky blackness, his eyes also becoming dark and caring.

"Hey Baba, what's up?" Goku asked, wiping a little bit of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

Baba tried her best to ignore Goku's informality; "I have discussed this decision with King Yama for the last two weeks now and—."

"What decisions?" Goku asked, cutting her off. He tilted his head to the side as though he totally missed something.

The witch narrowed her eyes at the Saiyan, floating up higher on her crystal ball so she could scream in Goku's face, "I'm getting there, be patient!"

Goku held up his hands in defense, a small sweat drop appearing on the side of his head, "Eh heh, heh…sorry, Baba. I'll keep quiet now."

"Good." Baba backed away a little, still bobbing slightly from the energy in the orb she sat upon, "Anyway, like I was saying…King Yama and I have recently talked to Dai Kaio, the kai that raises above all the other kai's, also known as the Grand Kai. He has foreseen the future and the danger that will follow, so I brought you up, Goku. I told Dai Kaio about your power and the success you have had in the past, and made a deal with him out of the goodness of my heart."

Goku merely nodded, listening to Baba but remembering his little promise to keep quiet.

"Dai Kaio eventually agreed and informed me that you will be sent to the planet Kaioshin Kai. That is the home of one of the higher Gods of the universe, East Kaioshin, also known as the Supreme Kai," Baba explained thoroughly, yet quickly. She made sure to watch Goku's facial expressions very closely, hoping to stop herself if she saw even a little look of confusion from him. "Do you understand?"

"Uhh…" Goku put on a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head, his eyes looking up to the sky, "yeah, I think so…but I don't understand why you're telling me all this. What am I gonna do?"

"You will be given the rest of the details when you arrive at Kaioshin Kai," Baba replied, lowering her ball more to the ground.

Goku went back to his normal stance, still looking a bit confused, "Okay…yeah, but how do I know where it is? How do I get there?"

"Kaioshin's assistant should be here shortly to take you there. Then—oh, look, here he is now," Baba looked slightly behind Goku, her voice cracking a bit more from the dryness she was feeling in her throat from talking too much. She watched as Goku turned around to look at the person that would assist him to the other planet.

"Ugh…" Goku couldn't help but let out, sure not expecting what he saw in front of him. He was a big pink-like man with white hair that went a little past his shoulders. His ears were elfish, two bluish-green round earrings hanging off of their bottoms. His eyes looked cruel at first glance, wrinkles covering his face from left to right. He was dressed formally, however, in the normal Kai outfit. 

Goku put on a grin, ignoring the frown he was receiving from the man, "Hi! I'm Goku, what's your name?" He asked, walking up to him.

"You're Goku? Good, I don't have to look for you then," his rough voice emitted. He reached an equally wrinkled hand out towards Goku, pressing down on his shoulder roughly. 

"Wait for me!" Baba quickly cried out, floating forward to grab onto Goku's other shoulder just as they disappeared from their regular spot, ending up in another grassy area.

Goku blinked twice, looking down at his hands to see if he accidentally Instant Transmitted all of them somewhere else. He looked up at the pink guy when he took his hand off Goku's shoulder, putting it behind his back again, "You can do Instant Transmission, too?"

The Kai continued to frown down at Goku, "The ability that I have is called souki idou, which is also an instantaneous movement, similar to the power you have."

"Ooohh…" Goku began slowly, his eyes looking full of interest in wanting to learn that technique also, just to say that he knew how.

"Welcome." Came another, more gentle voice from behind him. Goku turned around quickly to now see a little lavender kai with a white mohawk. His ears were also elfish with two smaller earrings hanging off of them. His skin looked perfectly smooth and his eyes seemed more gentle. "Thank you for bringing Goku here, Kibitto," he spoke again, though not moving from his spot here he stood.

Goku's eyes averted to the side for a moment to see the kai called Kibitto bow slightly in respect to the smaller kai.

"I assume you would like to know why you were brought here, right?" the lavender kai asked, a small smile on his lips. All Goku had to do was nod before the kai cocked his head to the side, turning to begin walking and leaving that as a sign for Goku to follow.

Goku obeyed, walking quickly until he was right beside the smaller man. He could subconsciously hear Baba and Kibitto following behind them.

"Let me start by introducing myself," he began, "My name is Kaioshin, but you are welcome to call me Shin.

"I'm just going to get right to the point. Centuries ago, there was a universal threat that came to be. He killed all the kai's of my generation and I am lucky that I survived. From what I've heard, you fought many evil villains in your day, Goku, am I correct in saying so?"

Goku simply nodded, staring down intensely at Shin.

"Well, this villain is unlike any you have ever encountered, I can say that with certainty," Shin's voice soon became lower, more angry and serious, "He is a monster with no feelings, no thoughts at all. He kills only for the pure enjoyment of doing it. He was created that way, however, by a wizard named Bibidi. He called his creation Majin Buu.

"The kai's in my generation did our best to stop him. Alas, in the end, Majin Buu got what he wanted…or so it seemed. He killed two of the other kai's, absorbing the third into him. Majin Buu changed forms, transforming into what some liked to call a big fat baby."

Goku laughed suddenly, making the other three jump in surprise. They were all getting into Shin's horrific story and was not expecting another sound to pop up, "A big fat baby, huh? Sounds terrifying."

Shin glared at Goku, "It's not funny, Goku. Though he became more childish, he was as powerful as ever," he stopped scowling then, his voice raising to when he first began talking. "Finally, I was able to kill Bibidi and seal Majin Buu away. The world was once again at peace."

All four of them stayed quiet for a moment or two, taking in all of what Shin had to say. Goku blinked down at the kai before averting his attention to what was in front of him…which was nothing but grass for miles, "Okay…so what does that have to do with me?" 

Shin halted their walk as he turned to stare at Goku with much seriousness; "Bibidi had a son named Babidi. And from what our predictions have presented to us, he is the known one that is going to find the egg in which I sealed Majin Buu in and release him onto the world once more."

Goku's eyes narrowed and Baba knew for sure now that Goku wasn't playing around anymore. It was time to get serious, "When is he supposed to do this?"

"Approximately three years," Shin answered.

Blinking twice, Goku's eyes went big again, "…three years? Well…why don't you just predict where Babidi is right now and stop him before he has the chance to unseal Majin Buu? …Or you could even find where the egg is and keep it in your care so he doesn't get to it."

Shin sighed, looking to the ground slowly, "If only it were that simple. However, our predictions have nothing to do with self-control, meaning the visions just come to us. We could begin our search for Majin Buu's egg or go on a hunt for Babidi, but in the end, it could be fruitless.

"The egg _is _somewhere on the planet Earth, I know this for sure. I didn't think anyone would bother to look on such a small planet. I guess I was wrong.

"But an offer has been made to us," Shin continued, looking back up to Goku with hope gleaming in his eyes. "You are welcome to stay on this planet and train for three years until Majin Buu is finally released. With faith, I believe that you will be strong enough after that time period to be able to fight and destroy Majin Buu once and for all."

Goku paused for a moment, thinking all this over. He looked to Kibitto, only to see him frowning with the same blank expression he wore since he first met him. He then looked to Baba who showed him a small, wrinkly smile. His eyes widened even more as he looked back to Shin. 

"Yeah, but…" he cocked his head to the side, going around what he thought Shin was implying. After all, he didn't want to let his hopes up if it was just something Goku assumed, "You said that Majin Buu is on Earth. Isn't Babidi goes to resurrect Buu on Earth, too?"

Shin beamed a tiny smile, "Yes, Goku, the threat will once again be put onto Earth."

"But how…?" Goku began, feeling his heart begin to thump faster and faster in his chest.

"That is the offer that was made to me. If you agreed to train under me for three years to help defeat Majin Buu, I will agree to grant you your life back."

-------

Hey, hey, hey everyone! Here's some things I would like to say:

As you…probably have noticed, that part of the story was in Goku's POV. One of my fans told me that I should try this, just to let y'all know what was going on with Goku. Well…I was a bit leery of the idea at first and was planning on keeping his return a secret, but I said…hey! Why not! So, I did it. And here it is, ha! Hope ya like it! ^^

Also…I'm very, very sorry to all of you who were disappointed with Bulma being pregnant by Vegeta. But Bra has to come in some place! And even though this is my story and I changed a lot of things around already, I would feel kinda bad if I all of a sudden made Bra Goku's kid. It would just seem kinda cruel. And that's why I did that.

AND ANOTHER THING! Does this sorta feel like déjà vu to you? I mean…"you have three years to prepare for this battle!" …yeah. Sorry about that. -_-; Oh yeah, and I'm really sorry that this chapter wasn't longer. I'm beginning to think that my AN is longer than the story… O.O

AND ANOTHER NOTHER THING! When Goku comes back three years later, do you want me to make the 25th Tenkaichi Budoukai? Since…that's how it goes in the series. Actually…I don't think I was even gonna go that far, and even if I don't, your answer will still effect some of the outcomes in the story…I think. 

So please review! =D I love you all!


	16. Jealousy

**__**

Just One Week

XVI.

The next few months were interesting, that's for sure. Videl moved in with me three days after Gohan told me the big news and, needless to say, she was a sweetheart. Though it seemed like she acted tough in the cities (what with all that fighting), she was as nice as can be out of public. She insisted on helping out around the house wherever she could and didn't mind playing with Goten and Trunks when they asked. It was very obvious that she loved Gohan with all her heart despite her age, and above all else, it was nice to have another girl in the house.

Videl would always come to me when she had a question, whether it be about her pregnancy and her baby or just about Gohan. It was nice to have someone to talk to and it made me feel commendable that I could help out Videl. I knew Goku would be proud of me and for some reason, it made me want to help out all the more.

Also, Gohan and Videl were still attending high school, which of course was also great. Videl wasn't showing all that much, even when she was a little into her sixth month. About time she was ready to deliver, it would be the summer and she wouldn't have to worry about school.

I do have to admit, however, that I was a bit jealous of her. I tried not to be, really I did, but I guess its just part of human nature. I'm sure in time I'll get over it…

* * * * * * * *

It was late in the evening, around six o'clock, getting to be the downtime of the Capsule Corp. household. Goten and Trunks were upstairs in their room playing some kind of game, Gohan was in his room finishing up the last of his homework, and Bulma and Videl were in the kitchen fixing supper.

"Bulma, what do they like best, French or Italian?" Videl held up two bottles of salad dressing to Bulma, a big bowl of salad on the counter. While Bulma kept to the actual cooking part, Videl went with the easier things. Videl tried to cook before, but ended up burning a lot of the meal. Bulma made her practice every now and then, but decided to give the girl a break for today.

Looking up from having just put the mashed potatoes under the mixers, she pointed to Videl's right hand, which held the French. Nodding, Videl put the Italian back in the refrigerator and took off the top for the French to pour a little bit in the salad for flavoring, then mixed it in.

Videl put one of her short strands that fell in her eye behind her ear when she paused. Awhile back, Bulma had to admit that the girl did have nice hair when she put it down and didn't have it in low pigtails. And Bulma even had to admit that she found it as the funniest thing when Videl tried to cut her own hair to try to impress Gohan. She gave her credit for trying, but told her that working with hair was just not her hobby.

Overtime, Videl's hair grew out again, but Bulma told her that it would be best if she had short hair the first few years after she had the baby. Helping her out, Bulma gave Videl the kind of cut she had when she first had Trunks: the straight, right above the shoulders look. It fit Videl nicely. 

Bulma turned back to the potatoes to make sure they were doing all right before turning back to Videl, "Everything should be done in about ten more minutes."

Something happened to catch Bulma's eye out of the corner and when she turned her head to look, she saw Gohan standing in the doorway to the kitchen. About to say hi, she was shushed when he held up his index finger to his lips. She pursed her lips shut tightly as she watched Gohan quietly, yet quickly, make his way through the kitchen and behind Videl. He waited a moment before resting his hands on her hips, Videl tensing for just a moment from surprise.

She soon relaxed, however, as a small smile played over her lips, her hands continuing to move the salad spoons up and down to toss it, "What are you doing, Gohan?"

"Nothing, just came to see how things were going in here," Gohan answered, sliding his hands up her sides, then going to her back for a moment to rest them on her shoulders. He gave her blades a light squeeze before going into a massage.

"Well…" Videl began, adding a little bit more dressing before tossing some more, "since I was left with the easy stuff, everything is going well. And Bulma just told me that supper should be ready in ten minutes, right?" Videl looked slightly to the side for a response.

"…What? Oh! Right, yes…about ten minutes," Bulma finally answered after having been silent for a moment. Shaking her head, she finally shut off the blenders and took the large bowl of mashed potatoes out from under them, putting another large chunk of butter in to rest on the top. She took it over to the table and set it down, looking over her shoulder slowly and sneakily.

Gohan and Videl could be heard talking lowly to each other. Bulma assumed they were talking about nothing important, but it was still one of those conversations that lovers liked to keep between themselves.

Subconsciously, Bulma gripped the back of the chair tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. She turned her head back to look down at the set table, her eyes lowering a bit with sadness. She tried not to act like this, and she hated herself for it, but she just couldn't help but feel a little depressed when she saw Gohan and Videl acting like they were.

Yes, Bulma Briefs was jealous. At first, she tried to ignore the feeling, but everything just kept building up. She wanted to be held, to be talked to, and to be loved like Videl. She was very envious of Videl for being able to have someone completely like Gohan and wished she had the same luck.

Not only was it that, but it was the mere fact that Videl _had _Gohan. As in, he spent a good portion of his time with her now. Bulma always had to mentally scold herself when that thought came about. Why wouldn't he spend his time with her? She was only pregnant with his child after all. And though Bulma was completely sure that she would be very happy when Videl moved in, it really only made her feel like the odd-one-out.

Goten and Trunks had each other, they always did and could hardly be separated. And even though she heard Gohan saying a lot about how much he needed her, in all truth, Bulma needed him all the same. She didn't realize just how much she missed talking to him until she couldn't do it just any old time. Bulma had to laugh scornfully at herself. All because it lead right back to the beginning detail…

She was jealous.

Bulma was sure she was due to have her baby any time now. Great, she'll have someone beside her twenty-four seven again. And then what? Videl will have her baby and about time their kids reach even a little over one, they'll be playing with each like crazy.

Once again, the odd-one-out.

"Bulma, are you okay?" 

Suddenly feeling a hand on her shoulder, she got jolted from her thoughts and shot her head to the side. She saw Gohan looking at her with concern and curiosity in his eyes and she could feel Videl on the other side of her, probably having the same expression.

"I'm fine," she answered, surprised that she heard and felt her voice crack. That's when she felt how heavy her eyes were and, wouldn't you know it, that's when a small tear escaped out of the corner of her eye.

Groaning in frustration, she managed to let out a small laugh and turn away from them to get the meat out of the oven, "Damn hormones."

Ah yes, her answer to everything.

Gohan sill looked a little confused, but Videl laughed also, going over to set the salad on the table, "I know what you're saying."

**********

Three and a half-hours came and went, and before Bulma knew it, it was a little after nine-thirty. Goten and Trunks were just put to bed, Gohan was upstairs taking a shower, and Videl could be heard eating some ice cream in the kitchen. Bulma was relaxing on the couch, needing to get off her feet after having been up and around almost all day. She laid her head against the back of the couch; both of her hands slowly gliding across her swollen stomach. This was the part of the pregnancy that she hated the most, for everything on her body felt like a deadly bee had stung it thirty times or more.

"Hey, Bulma," Videl said as she entered the living room, her left arm being able to rest over her stomach comfortably.

Bulma lifted her head and gave the younger woman a small smile, "Hey, to you too." She tried to sit up a little straighter, "Planning on going to bed soon?"

Videl nodded, "In a couple minutes…" Biting her bottom lip, Videl slowly made her way over to the couch Bulma was on to sit next to her. She stared down at the floor for a moment, leaving Bulma to raise a skeptical eyebrow.

Turning towards her quickly, Videl put her hands on her lap, "Listen, Bulma…I really don't know what you're going through…what with losing the father of your baby and all…but I just have to tell you that I think you're very brave."

Blinking twice, Bulma cocked her head to the side. After what Videl said fully registered, she simply shook her head and laughed, "Believe me, Videl…I'm far from brave."

"Don't say that," Videl said softly, her eyes becoming understanding, "to tell you the truth, I don't think I would know what to do first if I lost Gohan now…and…" Videl looked down again, "and it breaks my heart just thinking about it. But I do know that I wouldn't be half as brave as you, Bulma."

Sighing quietly, Bulma glanced down to her stomach, "At your age, it's understandable. But once you reach my age, well…instinct just kicks in and you become a mother and a father." Pausing for a moment, Bulma allowed herself a smile again, "But I do appreciate you telling me that, Videl."

Videl nodded and blushed a little after not knowing what else to say, "Well, I just wanted to tell you that. I'm off to bed now, goodnight."

After hearing Bulma reply, Videl got up and walked towards the stairs, surprised when she saw Gohan standing at the bottom. 

When she reached him, he simply told her, "I'll be up in a couple minutes, Videl."

Nodding in agreement, Videl stood on her tiptoes to give him a small kiss on the side of his mouth before heading up the steps. Gohan watched her go for a moment before looking back to Bulma. Walking around the couch and sitting down next to her where Videl had been without a single word, he saw that Bulma was hypnotized in watching her hands run over her stomach.

Clearing his throat, he felt bad for having to interrupt her, "Bulma, is there something you want to talk a—."

"The baby's kicking!" Bulma suddenly exclaimed, pressing her left hand to the middle of her stomach. She gave a toothy smile as she looked over to Gohan, grabbing his closest hand to put over the spot she had just been touching; "Do you feel it?"

Gohan held his breath for a moment, as though trying to feel _and _hear the baby. Sure enough, he felt a little pressure underneath his hand, mimicking Bulma's expression, "Yeah, that's really cool. Videl likes me to feel our baby kicking a lot, too," he laughed quietly and pulled his hand away so Bulma could feel again, "she says when I'm not right next to her, the baby kicks harder and it hurts."

"Yeah, surprisingly enough, baby's know when their daddy's are around and when they're not," she explained, feeling the baby calming down, "it's said that they feel what the mother is feeling, that's why I've been trying my best to be happy as much as I can."

"Trying your best?" Gohan questioned, sitting back further on the couch sideways to face her, "Shouldn't that just come naturally?"

"That's what I meant…" Bulma said quickly, not wanting to even get started on one of those emotional talks. She sighed loudly and plopped each of her hands to her sides, "Well, as far as what I can tell, I should be having the baby in about three weeks. Isn't that exciting?"

Gohan stared at her seriously for a moment, but quickly put on a smile for her, "Sure is, and then not too long after that, Videl will be going through the joys of delivering."

Bulma laughed at this, "She's gonna love that. Do you know what you guys are having?"

He nodded, "Yeah, we found out that we're going to have a girl."

She couldn't help but burst into giggles like a young girl, "Oh, won't that be adorable?" Reaching up, she pinched his cheek until he drew back with a blush on his cheeks, "Gohan with a little girl…you'll be all protective of her and then when she finally wants to date, you'll ask the guy a million of questions and set tons of rules and—."

"Okay, okay," Gohan held up his hands to make her stop, a deeper blush now apparent, "I get the idea of you making her out to be a 'Daddy's Little Girl'."

Bulma giggled one last time, for some reason remembering back when he was only twelve years old. She always found it so precious when she knew kids all their life and then even being there when they have kids of their own. "I actually still don't know what I'm going to have," she went on, "I like to keep it a surprise. I did the same thing when I was pregnant with Trunks."

Gohan's blush went away as he smiled, "Really? The suspense got to both of us and we just had to find out."

"Were you hoping for a girl?"

"To tell you the truth, it really didn't matter what we were going to have. But after I found out it was a girl, I was really happy about that."

Smiling more, Bulma once again reached over to pinch his cheek, "'Cause you wanted a 'Daddy's Little Girl'."

Gohan pulled away again and put a hand up to his cheek so she couldn't do that again, "No! It's just…just…"

"Ah-ha! Gotcha…" She smirked proudly, staring at him in the certain way that obviously said "Go on…admit it!"

He saw this and couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh, his head shaking and his hand lowering, "Okay, okay…you're right."

"I knew it," Bulma commented, her smirk never leaving. Her head was turned so she could see straight in front of her, but her eyes kept glancing over to Gohan. He didn't know it, and she wasn't about to tell him, but he just made her happier than she had been since Goku was around for that week. It always seemed that every time something was bothering her, rather it be big or small, Gohan subconsciously knew what was wrong and did his best to help her out. And she felt her own heart become overwhelmed from his kindness.

Gohan turned so he was sitting right on the couch, his form slumping a bit so his neck rested comfortably against the back. His hand reached out to slick through his still damp hair. He looked over to her, feeling and knowing that he was being watched, "Well, I'm off the bed, Bulma. Tomorrow's Friday and then the weekend again." He stood up from the couch and went around to head towards the stairs.

"All right then, I enjoyed talking to you again," she replied, cautiously turning to her side to watch him go, "Goodnight, Gohan," she paused and then said the first thing to came to mind, "I love you."

His foot just went on the second step when she said this, making him stop and turn towards her. She said that to him before, but it had been quite awhile; usually she saved all her 'I love you 's" for Trunks and Goten. He smiled genuinely at her. But it was still nice to hear sometimes, "Ditto." Then he was gone.

Her smile continued to linger on her lips even minutes after. She once again looked down to her stomach, then up to the ceiling, though she seemed to see right past the barrier.

"I love you, too, Goku…"

-----------

Sorry for taking longer to get this one out, I kinda disappeared for a week.

And I can explain this chapter…I think. . See…some people have been e-mailing me or whatnot saying about how they wanted to see a little bit of Gohan/Bulma…stuff. O.O; Well, I kept trying to say that this _wasn't _a Gh/B, but…I finally decided to maybe ease their minds a little bit. Erm…even though I really don't see romance there. And for you others that maybe thought something weird of this chapter…eh…don't worry about it. I promise that the next chapter will once again get things moving along quickly. Until then, please review! Thanks!


	17. Welcome, Bra and Pan!

**__**

Just One Week

XVII.

Needless to say, after that night I talked with Gohan, I didn't feel that pang of jealousy or envy anymore. No, it wasn't exactly because I knew I wasn't alone or the odd-one-out. The main reason was I didn't have enough time to feel such emotions. In my last few weeks of pregnancy, my stomach might as well have exploded. My back ached more than ever and I swore to myself that I would never put my body through this pain again. I wanted so badly to get up and move around, but I just felt too heavy to carry myself like that.

Videl also got bigger, even more so than me, to tell the truth. I assume that's because of her age, though. I knew Videl was going to have a harder time with her pregnancy than I. Girls her age, who are still growing, need as much calcium as they can get. And when they have another being inside of them, the baby gets greedy and takes all the good stuff for itself. Being that her baby had Saiyan blood in it didn't help matters any. On the bright side, Videl was in very good shape and that was a big plus.

Us two females decided to team up and spend our last few weeks of pregnancy in relaxation. Poor Gohan…I have to laugh every time I think about what we put that poor boy through. Of course, Goten and Trunks weren't left out of the picture. How fair would that be? At first, Trunks didn't want to have anything to do with "helping pitiful girls with big stomachs," but after Goten made some sort of game out of it, Trunks just couldn't help himself. So, in the end, we got all the guys to be our personal slaves.

I don't even have words to describe the night I went into labor. It was just so…hectic. It's funny, 'cause when I had Trunks, I knew it was going to happen almost twenty-four hours prior to his birth. But with this one…it came almost unexpectedly…

* * * * * * * *

It was about two-thirty in the morning, and Bulma was having a dream just like probably everyone else in Capsule Corp. One wouldn't think it was any special sort of dream, just one that made hardly any sense, no matter how much you try to make out of it. Of course, just like any other dream, there was no beginning and no end.

Bulma was sitting in the passenger seat of a car, speeding down a highway faster than she would have liked to. She didn't know who was in control of the vehicle for she didn't bother to turn to look. Her eyes were glued on the road as it zoomed past her, going quicker and quicker. She wanted to tell whomever to slow down, but before she had a chance to, there was an abrupt stop.

It wasn't a stop that jerked her forward; however, it was a smooth stop. She saw there was a "Road Closed" sign in front of the car and was going to tell the person driving to turn around. Before she had a chance to, though, she was somewhere else.

Now it was like she was in some sort of maze. She knew she was on foot this time, though she was still traveling as fast as she was when she was in the car. Bulma couldn't feel her feet move, giving her an instant feeling on what it felt like to fly. It was a narrow labyrinth; bushes that must have been thirty feet high were located on each side of her. Finally, she came to a fork in the path. Her body didn't bother to slow down, however, as it almost instinctively went to the left.

Before she got too far on that side, though, she went backwards, turned to the right this time, and once again began flying down the path. She was beginning to feel like she was in a cheap video game where you couldn't see your character moving, but you were literally his eyes.

Bulma flew down the passage for only a moment more before she came to another abrupt, yet smooth, stop. The bushes were now in front of her; she reached a dead end in the maze.

She ended up in what seemed like an abandoned apartment building. She was going at a normal walking pace now, looking around what must have been the main lobby. Hearing something fall behind her, she quickly spun around and was surprised to see Goku standing there. She took a couple steps towards him and reached out a hand. She tried to speak, but no words would come out, even when she saw him turn around and begin to leave.

Getting some control over herself, she began running after him, only to have a door slam in her face. Unfazed by the action, she turned the knob and pushed the door open, only to see Goku go through another door and slam it behind him. Bulma was determined, however, and opened that door. She saw Goku do the same thing again. Bulma approximated that this happened about four or five more times before she was finally able to open a door and see Goku standing right in front of her.

He was smiling down at her, but as soon as she was able to figure this out, his expression became sad, solemn. She felt confused, wanting to ask him what was wrong. The door slammed in between them before she had a chance. Without knowing why, she turned around and went for the door she just went through. Opening it, she was more than surprised to see Vegeta standing on the other side.

The Saiyan Prince allowed an evil smirk to cross his lips, his arms folded over his chest. Her legs stopped working in that instant as she watched in horror as he took a step towards her.

"It's time," his gruff voice rang throughout both of her ears, entering into her brain as though that was the only saying she knew of. She brought her hands up to cover her ears, her eyes clenching shut as she began to feel like she was drowning in the middle of the ocean where no one would ever be able to find her. Her heart felt like it was being punched from the inside; her pelvic area feeling strained for a reason unbeknownst to her.

Bulma gasped loudly, that being the sound that reasonably woke her from her nightmare. Her eyes snapped open to stare into the complete darkness of her bedroom, the light shining in through her window only allowing shadows to dance off her walls.

A pain shot up through her whole body, starting in her midsection, then traveling up to her head, only to quickly dash down through her legs. Gasping once again, she instinctively threw her covers off her, her eyes wide as she stared down at her body. She was only able to move her hips slightly to the side before the pain began to get unbearable. Her breathing began to come out in desperate pants now. Bulma could feel the wetness on and between her legs and knew right then that her water had broken.

She broke out in a cold sweat, her eyes, teeth, and fists clenching shut in a shaky manner. She even tried to moan lowly, to let out her pain. However, she found she had no voice and began to panic even more.

"Go…Gohan…" she whispered, hoping against hope that he would somehow magically hear her. Her lower area began to pulsate; silently yet so loudly warning her that she better do something quick. Without thinking, her hand reached over to her side table. Her fingers found her alarm clock first. Bulma wanted to grasp it firmly and throw it against the wall, hoping that someone would hear the crash and come check on her. Luck was not on her side, though, as she merely pushed it off the stand to make it land gently on the carpet.

"Stay calm, Bulma."

Her eyes opened immediately. She knew that voice…it was Goku's. But where was he? She didn't see him anywhere. Why was he hiding in the dark from her? How was she supposed to stay calm when he wasn't right beside her?

Before she could ask herself anymore questions, she felt an almost comforting warmth spread over her belly. Just for a moment, she didn't feel anymore pain. She was able to open her fists up and relax her aching jaw. Water was almost spilling out of her eyes from the strain she put on them and allowed herself to blink a few times.

"Gohan." She heard Goku's voice speak again.

"Gohan…" Bulma heard herself say, her heart skipping a beat when she realized she had her voice back. And then just as suddenly as it came, the warmth that surrounded her was gone and the pain once again shot through her like a bullet.

She squeezed her eyes shut again and grasped the sheets beneath her throbbing body, "Gohan!" After she screamed his name, she felt another pain hit her right in her stomach, making her inhale a gasp sharply and painfully.

Behind her closed eyelids, she was able to make out a light that came on, followed by a couple pairs of footsteps.

"Bulma! Are you okay? Tell me what you need," Gohan spoke urgently, his cool hand feeling extremely good when it rested on her forehead.

"I'll get some towels," Videl spoke up before Bulma could respond. The young girl was heard going into Bulma's bathroom, quickly coming back. The couple helped in lifting both of her legs so one towel could go under each. Videl handed Gohan the third towel, rushing back into the bathroom to wet a washcloth with cold water.

"I have a feeling this isn't going to take very long," Bulma said all in one forced breath. Another pain hit her, causing her to groan and throw her head back, feeling Videl slowly glide the cold cloth down her face, "or at least I hope so."

"Come on, Bulma, just focus on one thing and one thing only," Gohan demanded gently. He positioned the towel just right in his hands so he would be able to help deliver Bulma's baby as best he could.

Bulma was just about to start that oh-so-famous breathing routine when she heard two other voices coming from her doorway.

"What's going on?" a sleepy Trunks asked, rubbing his left eye roughly with his palm.

"What's wrong with Mom?" asked Goten, sounding a bit more alert and afraid.

Hearing that they were there only seemed to put more stress on her mind, a moan escaping her lips before she had any chance of holding it back.

Bulma felt the abandoned washcloth resting on her forehead now, Videl's voice sounding very far away suddenly.

"Nothing's wrong with your mom, you guys," Videl tried to soothe the two out in the hallway, "she's about to have your brother or sister right now, so I'm going to ask if you two mind maybe waiting in your room until then?"

Videl had to bite her lip in anticipation as she waited for their answer. She watched as the boys looked at each other for a moment and then back up at her.

Trunks spoke first, "Is it going to take very long?"

She shook her head, "I'm hoping not."

"Do you promise to come get us when she has it?" Goten asked innocently, his eyes big and watery as he heard hurtful sounds coming from inside his mother's room.

She nodded this time, "I promise."

They seemed to think about it for a few seconds more before agreeing silently and walking back to their room. Letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding in, she ran back in the room, closing the door gently behind her. Videl had to begin holding her stomach as she felt it was beginning to slow her down. She went back up to Bulma's side and took her hand, squeezing it to let her know she could squeeze hers if necessary. 

Bulma almost expertly did the "choo-choo" breathing, stopping almost every twenty seconds to give a hard push.

"You're doing great, Bulma," Gohan urged her on, small sweat beads sliding down the side of his face from his own nervousness, "just a little more…"

"Do you think we should call the doctor?" Videl asked, wincing just a little when Bulma squeezed her hand a bit too hard.

Gohan shook his head, "No, it's too late for that. Besides, Bulma has just as good equipment as doctors, if not better." He looked from Videl back down to Bulma, switching more of his weight to his right foot, "Okay Bulma…are you ready?"

Opening her eyes slowly, she looked down at Gohan with trust and gave a single nod.

"One…two…three…"

Before she could hear the demand, she sucked in a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could. She felt like the veins in her head were popping from the pressure and she could've sworn she passed out for about a minute…

~*~

__

And then I remember hearing a loud wail echoing off each wall in my room. The sound popped me out of my sleeping state and that's when reality kicked in. My hair felt disgusting as it clung to my neck and shoulders, my whole body felt sweaty and confined within my nightgown, and my thighs and legs were sorer than if I would have ran fifty miles.

My eyes never felt heavier, but I forced myself to open my lids and look at my new baby. Videl helped me sit up a bit as she put a few pillows behind me to support my back. I smiled as I caught sight of Gohan holding my baby carefully in the towel, wiping off some of the blood from her head. Yes, I am Bulma, so don't think that I wasn't totally unprepared for this moment! I told Gohan that I had what was needed to cut the baby's cord and wipe it off a little better in my bathroom. 

As Videl and Gohan both went in to help, I allowed a small smile to linger on my lips. Even though childbirth was the most painful thing I ever had to go through, the end result always made it worth it. I let myself relax for a few moments before I realized that Gohan didn't even tell me if I had a boy or a girl.

When I heard they were about to come back in my room, I quickly put my covers back over me, getting comfortable enough where I could hold my baby properly. I smiled even more when I heard the baby calm down a little more, held securely in Gohan's arms as he brought it over to me to lay in my arms…

* * * * * * * *

Right away, Bulma made out that there was a little patch of blue hair on top of her baby's head, matching blue eyes staring up at her curiously.

"Congratulations, Bulma…it's a girl," Gohan announced to her quite happily.

Hearing that her baby was a girl seemed to make Bulma all the happier. She took great joy and pride as her and her girl stared at each other for the first time. With extreme gentleness, she lifted one hand to run a single finger over her daughter's chubby cheek.

"What are you going to name her?" Videl asked, smiling down at the scene and suddenly feeling anxious to hold her own baby.

"I think…I think I'm going to name her Bra," Bulma said confidently, smiling more after Bra giggled a bit when Bulma must have hit a ticklish spot.

"I'm going to get Goten and Trunks now," Videl stated, waiting to see Bulma's nod of approval before going.

While she was gone, Bulma took her eyes away from Bra for a moment to look up at Gohan. Her smile lessened, but she was just showing him how much she appreciated what he did, "Thank you so much, Gohan."

He smiled back at her and came up beside her to stare down at the new Capsule Corp. addition, "Hey, it's no problem. Really Bulma, you helped my mom in the exact position so it was the least I could do."

"Mommy!" Goten screamed as he came running in first, jumping up on the high bed to crawl up to her. When Bra heard the abrupt loud noise, she suddenly let out a clamorous cry of protest.

"Shhh, Goten, you have to be quiet around your new sibling," Bulma almost whispered to him, rocking Bra gently to get her to calm down before she started a crying fit.

Goten clasped both of his hands over his mouth in alarm before he was able to settle himself, "Sorry…" he said somewhat inaudibly.

"What are you…stupid? Even I know that you have to be quiet around babies." Of course, that was Trunks as he came walking in the room. He had his arms crossed over his chest, his gait calm and steady when he walked beside the bed to see the bundle his mother was holding. Though his manner made it seem like he could care less, the lavender haired child's eyes told a different story.

Goten, for the most part, ignored Trunks' little insult and put his full attention towards the baby, "Is it a girl?"

"Yes, she's a girl," answered Bulma, giggling a little when Bra looked up at Goten who was staring directly down at her.

"What's her name?" Trunks asked, his curiosity getting the better of him as he stood on his tiptoes and pulled the blanket down a little to see her face.

"Bra." She said, now watching as she helped Bra lean up a bit to look down at her other brother.

"Can we play with her?" Goten asked, trying to avert her attention back to him.

Bulma shook her head, "Not right now. Bra needs to get some sleep and so do I. Besides…" she looked to the side at her clock that Videl must have put back on her stand at one point or another, "It's after three in the morning. I think you two need more rest before playtime."

Goten and Trunks looked at each other and then sighed, "All right…" Very reluctantly, they started for the door, making sure to turn back to Bulma and give their best puppy eyes.

She giggled a little and waved her hand, "That's not gonna work right now. Go!" She said playfully, laughing again at the mock disappointment on both of their faces. She shook her head and looked up at Gohan and Videl who were holding hands, "And you two can go back to bed, too. Don't worry, I'll be all right."

"You want Bra to sleep in here with you tonight?" Gohan asked, reminding her that the three of them did put a nursery together for their kids when they were born.

Thinking about it for a moment, Bulma simply nodded and told Gohan and Videl goodnight before they went off to bed. Sighing a bit loudly, Bulma again pushed the covers off of her to fix herself and the bed up. She knew Gohan and Videl would have helped her if she asked, but Bulma felt they did enough already. Besides, her body ached to be moved in some way or another.

"Never again…" she moaned when she carefully got out of bed. But when she looked back down at the now sleeping Bra, a smile couldn't help but find its way to her again, "Yeah right…"

~*~

__

And that's the story of the birth of my second child. And believe me, I was more than overjoyed that it turned out to be a girl. Ever since I was a little girl myself I always dreamed about having a girl of my own. And now I got her. I guess Vegeta did something right after all.

Now that I think about it, I was very silly for feeling the way I did before. About being alone that is. Everyone helped me out with Bra. Gohan and Videl took her off of my hands a lot as they wanted to practice for when they had their baby, and Goten and Trunks could show her the time of her life. Yes, Bra was one happy baby, that's for sure. She was even happier (along with Goten and Trunks) when it was time for Videl to deliver.

For her, we all decided to take her to the hospital so she would have more care in case something did happen to go wrong. The worst thing that happened, fortunately, was that she was in labor for about fourteen-and-a-half hours. The poor girl…I couldn't imagine going through that. But she stuck it out, making Gohan stay right by her side the whole time. I would have been happy to do the same, alas; I had to keep an eye on Trunks and Goten. They got joy out of going into random hospital rooms and scaring the patients half to death.

Well, like it was planned, Videl and Gohan had a baby girl they named Pan. Goten and Trunks took to her the same way they did to Bra and wanted to play with her immediately.

And as I stood in the middle of the hospital room, I had to look around at my surroundings. Videl was sitting up in bed holding Pan close to her; Gohan sat beside the bed in one of the blue chairs. Goten was sitting on his lap and looking at Pan, Trunks standing on the opposite side of the bed and doing the same. I stood at the foot of her bed, holding Bra who was gripping my index finger. And though this was simply what a saw, I knew quite well that Goku was standing behind me, looking on at the scene very proudly.

------------

Sorry it took longer to get this one out. I just started school again and things are a little hectic. But hey, school was canceled today so I got free time. ^^ Now I just have a few things to say…

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July: Thank you so much for your reviews! They mean a lot. And about what you said in your last review…the one where I tell people that Bulma will have another kid with Goku at the end (even if it's not true), well…I usually don't like to lie to them. . 'Cause then they'll be reading the rest and when it never comes, they'll start flipping out on me and I'll hear about it from them even more! So I'm just gonna say…

MAYBE!!!!

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Quoth Aurora: Where is Vegeta you ask? Somewhere in space I assume. When is he coming back? …Hopefully never? Lol, couldn't really tell you for sure yet.

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Bb: I –--cannot—-- make Bra Goku's baby, like I said before. I'd just feel too bad. I'm very sorry, and yes I know I answered other reviewers, but that's because I didn't know what to do at one point and they gave me ideas. And if you look up to the message I sent **July **then maybe I will half answer your review.

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Crystal: Does Goku know about Bulma's pregnancy? …I dunno, does he? ::evil smirk:: Does he know what's going happening on Earth? …I dunno, does he? ::evil smirk:: Hahaha! …Okay, actually, in all honesty…I'm not sure yet.

Okay, well those were the reviewers were major questions or such. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I tried to make it a tidbit longer than the others. I can say one thing if any of you have the question of "When's Goku coming back?"

Answer: Just wait a few more chapters. 


	18. Tenkaichi Budoukai

**__**

Just One Week

XVIII.

The years seemed to fly by after that…not that they didn't before. Before I knew it, Bra and Pan's first birthdays came and went, followed by the second. Trunks, Goten, Bra, and Pan all got along terrifically and depended on each other equally. Actually, and I say this very lightly, Bra was a little bit of the odd one out in the group. It's just that Bra took after me in the sense of being the "adorably cute little girl" while Pan took after her parents of being a fighter and always rough-housing with the boys. Bra never seemed to have a problem with it, however, for she did enjoy watching the shows they put on.

Not only that, but other things changed also. A lot of my old friends began visiting every now and then, such as Yamcha and Krillin. A funny thing about Krillin is the fact that he married Android 18 about three years ago and had a little girl with her. I've heard things going around about it, but I was a little weary on the subject. I mean…really. Krillin and 18? Who would have seen that one coming? Anyway, their daughter, Marron, is just two years older than Bra and Pan. Because of that, they bring her over sometimes to play with the others. Marron's not a fighter either, so Bra took a bigger liking to her.

Things began to spice up again a little over a month before Bra turned three years old. Gohan announced to all of us (including non-Capsule Corp. people) that there was another Tenkaichi Budoukai. He seemed…I don't know how to explain it…more overjoyed that he should have ever been? I mean, I understood perfectly when Trunks, Goten, and Pan were ecstatic; after all, it would be there first tournament. But Gohan? Since when was he one to get all worked up over something so trivial? I didn't ask, however, no matter how much my curiosity got to me. I just let them all do their thing.

This therefore brings me to the training chapter. Gohan, needless to say, was everyone's "master" so-to-speak. Videl stated that she didn't know whether to enter or not, but the discipline Gohan put her through was enough to get her back in shape to the way she was before she got pregnant. The girl looked fine to me.

A lot of times, Bra and I would watch the five of them train, seeing how they each progressed in their own little way each day, even Gohan. Every now and then, someone would drop by for a little "preview match" but during these times, people usually don't see each other until the day of the tournament.

And well…you know how it is. Before you know it, the big day is only one day away…

It was about ten at night on the day before the tournament and Bulma was no where else except curled up on the couch with a good book in hand. Bra was sleeping peacefully with her head on her lap, her shoulder-length bright blue hair tickling her nose every now and then. Of course, though it made her nose twitch a lot, she was too tired to reach a hand up to brush her hair away from her face. Her little body was well hidden under the flowery hand-made afghan.

A small, side lamp was on medium for Bulma to be able to see the words, the _tick, tick, tick_ing noise that sounded every second from the clock not bothersome, but rather comforting.

Everyone else in the house was getting ready for bed, or already in bed. Even from downstairs, Bulma could hear a small commotion from Goten and Trunks, but figured that she shouldn't even bother going upstairs and telling them to calm down. That was the worst way of handling the situation, she thought. She knew they were excited, and the only way they would ever fall asleep is if they simply wore themselves out.

Videl put Pan down to rest about a half-an-hour ago and she fell asleep almost immediately, followed by Videl. Gohan, Bulma noticed, put a little more extra pressure on the two girls on the last day of training than he did on the boys.

Gohan…well, Gohan has his ways to stay up just a little later than anyone else does and talk to Bulma for a few minutes. This night was no exception. The man came tiptoeing down the stairs and sneaked up behind the couch. He glanced over Bulma's shoulder to see what she could possibly be reading now, only to automatically guess it was a romance.

With his lightning fast speed, he reached down and pulled the book up out of her grasp, "You know, you shouldn't be reading these kind of books this time of night," he flipped through some of the pages, but making sure to keep the page she was on intact. He glanced down at her now looking up at him. He showed a mocking smirk, "It could give you ideas."

Bulma gave a small chuckle and took the book back when he handed it to her, "Oh yes, it's just gonna drive me crazy enough to go out looking for some lovin' tonight."

"You never know," Gohan teased, coming around the couch and sitting down beside her. He happened to glance at the sleeping girl on her lap and finally did Bra the honor of brushing her hair out of her face.

Bulma smiled but pretended not to notice the gesture, "So why aren't you in bed?"

He shrugged and took a quick look at the clock, "I still have some time, just decided to come down and see what you were up to," He paused for a moment, watching as Bulma put her book marker in her place. A devious smirk crossed his lips at that moment, "You excited?"

Stifling a yawn behind her hand, her eyes traveled over to him, watery and tired, "About what?"

"Tomorrow, of course."

Her hand came down gently to rest on Bra's head, her fingers caressing through the silky locks of her daughter's hair, "Why would I be excited, you're the one that's going to be doing all the fighting."

When she didn't hear a response from him after a moment, she looked back over to him. He was smirking at her…a smirk that covered his whole face. It seemed like one of those grins that becomes extremely painful, but you still can't make it go away.

She raised one eyebrow in curiosity, "What?"

Gohan could do nothing but shrug as though nothing was out of the ordinary, but his grin still never left.

Out of fun, and some annoyance, she smacked him on his arm, "What!"

He did nothing but put his finger to his lips to tell her to quiet down before pointing to Bra, who shifted in her sleep. Bulma watched her for a moment to make sure she didn't wake up before turning her attention back to Gohan. That mysterious grin he wore was really beginning to irk her nerves. Really, she figured it was one thing to smile, and then another to smile like a complete maniac looking as though he wanted to begin singing "I know something you don't know, I know something you don't know!"

Clenching her teeth together, she hissed out his name warningly. She was going to make him tell one way or the other, because she just couldn't take not knowing a secret.

Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was, "You'll see tomorrow sometime." With that, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and stood up from the couch. His arms stretched high above him as he made his way to and up the stairs, "Well, as you said, I should be in bed. Goodnight, Bulma."

Bulma watched all the moves he made, doing nothing but letting her mouth hang open. How dare he do that to her! She was sure he did that on purpose…to come down, get her curious, and then leave. How so…well, unlike him actually. It's not exactly Gohan-like to keep a secret from her.

Sighing in deep frustration, she banged her head against the back of the couch. Her fingers began to run through Bra's hair again, her own blue eyes closing shut, "I'm never gonna be able to sleep now…" she paused for a moment and brought her head up, "I wonder what it is…"

Alas, it was the day of the tournament and, needless to say, things were hectic around the Capsule Corp. premises. Bulma woke up first, at about eight-thirty, to get a good breakfast ready for everyone so they wouldn't have to wait until they got there. She made everything she could possibly think of, going from cereal, to pancakes, to egg rolls.

Only when she was all done with this food making did she realize that no one came downstairs yet. By this time, it was almost ten and they arranged it so they would leave somewhere between eleven and eleven-thirty.

"Guess I get the duty of being the cook and the alarm clock today," Bulma huffed, taking one last look at the full table before exiting the kitchen and heading upstairs. 

She reached the hallway that was between all the rooms and wondered how to go about it. Should she go from room to room, such as in a hotel, and knock on their doors, or should she just…

She sucked in a deep breath and let it out with a: "Everyone get up!" Bulma screamed frantically, "We're already late! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

The method worked just as well as giving them all a hard kick in the butt. Not two seconds after she gave them this warning, she heard the rustling and busy moving in each of the occupied rooms. She put on a humorous smirk and crossed her arms under her breasts. And that's how everyone got presented to her when they came out of their rooms at once.

"Just don't stand there, Mom, we gotta go!" This was Trunks, who was still jumping up and down trying to put his right shoe on.

Goten had his fists clenched in anticipation, "Yeah, I don't wanna lose before we even get there!"

Gohan stepped forward now, his eyes a bit worried. He grabbed her by her shoulders and gave her a firm look, "Do you got the air-car ready? We put our entire luggage in there last night, right? So we don't have to do that. What about—."

He was cut off when the loud rumbling sound coming from Goten's stomach grumbled, the "talking" lasting for a good thirty seconds. Bulma had to hold back a laugh when Trunks looked at Goten's stomach with wonderment. 

"…Food." Gohan finally finished when he heard it was his turn to talk again.

Bulma finally let out the giggle she was trying to suppress and shook her head, "I'm sorry guys, I just had to do it to you. We still have about another hour before we have to leave," she took a quick glance down at Goten, "And I made a large breakfast."

The last statement made the youngest boy forget that he had been tricked into getting out of bed in a cruel way. His face brightened instantly as he ran past Bulma and flew down the stairs. Pan also heard this and wanted to go get first digs on the food, but as soon as she was about to run after Goten, Videl grabbed her arm.

"Pan, you have all your clothes on backwards," her mother pointed out, pulling lightly on the tag that was sticking out beneath Pan's chin.

The little girl didn't seem to care, however, as she tried her hardest to get out of the grasp she was set in, "I don't care! I'll fix it later if you want."

Videl shook her head and opened her mouth to deny the request, when Pan was suddenly ripped from her grasp. As it turned out, Trunks grabbed Pan's other hand and slipped her away from the clutches of the "backward-clothes worrying mom".

The three adults watched as Trunks and Pan ran down the stairs as fast as they could, hoping against hope that in that small interval of time, Goten didn't already eat all the food.

Bulma felt a light tug on her pants and looked down to see Bra, dressed in her polka-dotted dress and shoes to match. Bulma felt proud that Bra picked her clothes out herself and put them on correctly. That meant she would have a great fashion sense when she got older.

"Can you do my hair, Mama?" Bra asked, holding up two ponytail holders to indicate that she wanted her hair to be put in pigtails like Marron always wore her hair.

Bulma smiled and ran her hair through Bra's matted down hair that desperately needed that oomph, "Sure, go into my room and I'll be there in a sec, okay?"

She watched as Bra nodded and went into her room before turning back to Videl and Gohan, "Well, I'm sure you two will need something to eat, too, so go ahead. There's plenty down there."

"I'll meet you downstairs," Gohan informed his wife, giving her a small kiss on the side of her mouth. Videl agreed and headed in the same direction as everyone else. Bulma and Gohan's eyes met. She smirked again.

"That was cruel," he stated simply.

Bulma rolled her eyes teasingly, "Yeah well…what you did last night was cruel. I was just getting you back…so you gonna tell me now?"

"Hm…" Gohan put his index finger to his chin in a moment of thought before shaking his head, "Nah…now is not the right time."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat, "Awww, how will I know when the right time is?"

Gohan chuckled and walked past her, "Believe me, Bulma…you'll know when the right time is."

Bulma watched as he descended the stairs and knew, once again, she wasn't going to get the answer from him at the moment. She sighed, her stomach tightening in a pulled knot as she walked towards her room. She didn't know why she felt so excited about wanting to know what Gohan was hiding, but something in the back of her mind told her it was good.

She walked into her room, "You ready, Bra?"

Bra turned around with Bulma's make-up in hand, putting eye shadow on her cheeks. The girl gave a large grin and nodded firmly, "Yep!"

Arrival time: twelve-fifteen.

Sign-in time: one-oh-five.

As it turned out, there were a lot more people competing in this year tournament than in all the others and they had to wait in a long line. Not only that, but they got split up right away when they learned that the Tenkaichi Budoukai had a new rule: kids were to only enter the children's division. That got Goten, Trunks, and Pan steamed right off the bat.

"I knew the grown-ups would be easy to beat, but kids? That's pathetic," that was Trunks speaking, of course. His arms were crossed and he looked like he wanted to obliterate the next person that dared speak to him.

Bulma silently agreed with him, but changed her mind when she saw the herd of kids fourteen and under doing warm-ups. The human kids would never be able to beat the adults; she understood why they enforced the rule now.

All seven of them finally came together again and decided to look around and see the sights. The tournament was not due to start until two, so they still had about fifty minutes to blow off. Some point in time, Bulma made her way to walk beside Gohan, her hand clutched firmly onto Bra's.

"Now the right time?"

Gohan looked away when a large smile came to his lips, trying to make it go away. When it didn't work, he turned back to her anyway, "You know, Bulma…you're beginning to sound like a little kid."

Bulma narrowed her eyes at him and stuck her nose up in the air, "Am not!"

Gohan laughed at the sarcasm in her voice, but stopped abruptly, even halting his walking. Because Videl was on his other side, who was holding Pan's hand, and Trunks and Goten were walking behind them, they all stopped with him.

His eyes were wide with amazement, his smile growing larger by the second.

Videl looked at him almost worriedly, "Gohan, what's the matter?"

When Gohan didn't answer, Bulma waved her hand in front of his face, but he didn't waver. Frustrated, she pushed his closest shoulder back so he had to turn sideways and face her. His eyes seemed to come back down to Earth, but his smile never ceased.

"What is going on with you?" she asked inquisitively, an eyebrow raised.

She was shocked when Gohan grabbed her by the sides of her face and made her look directly into his eyes. Gohan put on a look that said he was serious just because he couldn't stop grinning, "I can tell you now…" he paused, just to let the intensity get to her, then began speaking slowly again, "My dad is going to be here."

Bulma blinked three times in confusion, "Wh-what…? Gohan, what are you—."

"Look," Gohan proportioned his hands to make Bulma's head turn to the side. As if in slow motion, she saw the hot dog stand pass before her eyes, followed by a big group of people taking a picture, then a person trying to sell pins, pursued by someone handing out balloons, and then…

She saw him, standing out from all the rest of the crowd; there was no mistaking him. His big, spiked hair flared in all directions, his orange and blue outfit as fitting as ever. His eyes were wide and welcoming, his lips formed into a contagious smile. His rough, strong hands were clenched and on his hips, that is, until he raised his right for a wave.

"Hi, everyone!"

Her heart jumped into her throat and took her breath away. She suddenly felt dizzy and was grateful Gohan had a hold on her. Bulma blinked hard once, just to make sure he wasn't a dream or an hallucination. Alas, he continued to be there.

"Goku…"

-------

Eh heh….Eh? What can I say…umm…I am so, so, so, so, so, so, SO sorry that I took SO long to update! Geez…quite truthfully, I have been really busy with this and that and I just happened to get a free weekend on my hands and decided to update when I hope none of you forgot about. So…if you still like and still want me to finish, I'm on it!


	19. Reunited Forever

**__**

Just One Week

XIX.

I know many people may think I'm crazy, but I wasn't sure if I was happy to see Goku standing there or not. It was sort of like a dream come true thing…but it's nothing like you would have expected. Though I know I did grow up a bit more when I had my second child, I was still as stubborn as ever and ready to be pessimistic when I thought best fit.

What was Goku doing at this tournament…really? Did he magically get granted another free week on Earth…another week for him to lift my spirits up only to drop them like a ton of bricks when he leaves seven days later? Was he allowed to pick one day out of the whole year to come back to Earth…so he picks the day of a stupid fight?

Makes me feel special, let me tell ya…

However…there is one thing I happened to notice that wasn't the same as all the other times he came back while still being dead. That was his halo. It was missing this time. So I found myself thinking…he's back for good?

No! I have to dismiss all such foolishness as that. I won't make a fool of myself in front of everyone by acting so happy it brings me to tears, only to get slapped back to my own humiliation.

While I sense everyone else around me smiling like crazy at that tall, handsome Saiyan, I feel my face contort into a glare. So…Gohan knew about this? If he knew about it…did that mean all the others knew about it? All of them but me? If his showing up was supposed to be a surprise, someone should inform him that I don't like surprises. I did before…but starting now, I don't.

How long did they know?! I wanted to shout out all these questions that got my blood boiling. If they knew…say…around the time when that week was over…that means that they _had me suffer all that time…because I thought he was never coming back. But there he was…could it really be possible that all my misery was for nothing? What would have Goku done if I found someone else! (Not saying that I wanted or tried to, no one could match up to his standards.)_

Everything else faded into the back of my mind; all the people standing around me, rational thoughts, the annoying tug on my shirt…everything. My eyes and brain focused on that should-be-dead man not ten feet from me and what I should do for pay back. With clenched fists, I began striding towards my destination…

Bulma didn't stop until she was directly in front of him, her neck craning to look right into his face. Though her eyes were as narrowed as could be, Goku didn't seem to take notice in her obvious anger.

"Hey, Bulma, did ya miss me?" Her blood steamed more with his casual tone. _That's _all he had to say about all this?! Asking if _she_ missed _him_!

She began to raise a fist to strike out at him, knowing full well that it would do him no harm. But she had to let this frustration out some way! If she held it in any longer she was going to starting ripping out her hair…which wasn't something that sounded too pleasant. She sucked in a deep breath and opened her mouth to begin screaming at him, much like how she used to do with Vegeta.

Raising his own hand faster than her, the back of his finger slid gently across her cheek, putting a few loose strands of hair behind her left ear. Again, he smiled down at her, but in a way he saved only for her, "I know I missed you."

Her mouth clamped shut, her jaw locking in an instant. Her palm burst out, leaving her fingers unrestrained. All the heat her anger let off that once filled her face was now it the pit of her stomach. As her eyes softened and became more vulnerable, tears stung them in the back, making water appear in her ocean-like irises.

Now when she opened her mouth, nothing came out but a sob that she wanted to hide by digging her face in his chest. Her fingers once again clenched to have a tight hold on the front of his gi, her body tensing and untensing when she felt his arms coming around her form.

"Hey, why you crying?" She heard the slight teasing tone in his voice, making her want to cry even more, "I would think you would cry when I wasn't there. 'Cause that would make sense…be sad when I'm not there and happy when—."

"Goku…" she interrupted, finally finding her voice but still hiding her face.

His big, curious eyes blinked twice down at the woman trying to hide herself more than what she was achieving, "Huh?"

Bulma couldn't help it; she had to let out a laugh that soon turned into a joyous giggle. She tried to forget about what her tear-stained face looked like when she took a small step away from him to look up into his dark eyes again. She showed him a toothy smile, some tears still sliding over her cheeks.

"Dad!" A double echo rang out, making the two lovers look down to see Trunks and Goten at each of Goku's legs, their eyes brighter and more enthusiastic looking than Bulma's seen in quite awhile.

Unwrapping his arms from around Bulma, Goku kneeled down to their height, though their preteen forms were now at a little above stomach level.

"Wow! You guys both grew so much since I've been gone," he watched as they both looked at each other curiously, like they were now just realizing they did grow from three years ago.

"We're both a lot stronger now, too!" Goten piped, doing a macho man pose and showing off his muscles.

"I'm still a little stronger, though," Trunks had to add as he tried to flex his arm muscles to be bigger than Goten's.

Goten looked at Trunks with a little bit of pity in his eyes, "Stop denying, Trunks, we're equal and you know it."

Goku laughed abruptly and stood up straight before the two of them broke out into an argument, "I'd like to spar with you both sometime soon, I'm sure they'll be exciting matches."

Trunks crossed his arms and again looked at all the people that seemed to tick him off, "Unfortunately, we won't be able to fight in the tournament. They made this stupid new rule with a Children's Division."

Goku shook his head, "Yeah, I heard about that. It's a shame; it doesn't give the kids as much excitement as it would if they were fighting with the adults."

"I don't know about that, Dad," Gohan finally stepped forward, holding Pan in his arms, "Did you see some of the kids here? They look like they haven't eaten in a month!"

Grinning, Goku shrugged, "You never know, Gohan." He looked down at the little girl in Gohan's arms, her eyes staring up at this new man inquisitively. Her hair was short, stopping right at her neck, and her eyes her as black as his own.

"Hi, there," he spoke, softer than usual to make sure not to scare her, "I'm Goku, what's your name?"

Right away, she fell in love with him and when her eyes grew, it was obvious she was a Son, "I'm Pan!" She gave him a slightly suspicious look, "Do I know you from somewhere…?"

"Pan, this is your grandfather," Gohan introduced him better, smiling when she seemed to become even happier.

"Grandpa?" She flew free from Gohan's arms, keeping her levitation level to equal his eye height to see him perfectly, "I heard so much about you! _Everyone _seems to know everything about you except me! I always have Daddy tell me all these _cool _stories about how you kicked some major butt when—and Grandma tells me a lot, too…how nice you are and stuff. Trunks and Goten even tells me some things…like how you helped train them. Will you train me, too?!"

Goku couldn't hold back the laughter he had, reaching out to grab her and seat her on his right shoulder, "You bet I will, you have a great energy to you."

Pan giggled at the compliment.

"Um, excuse me?" Hearing another small voice made Goku look down to see the miniature version of Bulma staring up at him, "Hi, are you my daddy?"

Goku seemed taken by surprise for a moment; after all, it's not everyday a little girl just comes up to him and asks him that. He looked up to see Bulma's reaction, only to see she looked a little uncomfortable, almost sad, as she looked down at her daughter. Feeling his eyes on her, her own lifted to meet his again. Smiling softly, she simply nodded.

He looked back down at the blue-haired beauty. He finally had a daughter? With Bulma? Ha! It figured he could have sons that looked exactly like him, but once he had a daughter, she would look exactly like the mother. Of course, Pan made up plenty for the other girl's lack of Son features.

He knelt down for a moment to scoop her up in his arm opposite Pan and look into the blue-ist eyes he's ever seen, save Bulma's.

"Trunks, Goten, and Gohan are my brothers and since you're their daddy, that must make you mine, too, right?" she questioned, saying the whole situation like it was a big puzzle now finally being put together.

Grinning from ear to ear proudly, he nodded and hugged her tightly to him without hurting her, "Right, it makes me your daddy, too."

Bra nodded once and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling proud of herself for assuming right, "We have a lot to catch up on. But for starters…my name's Bra."

Bulma had to laugh at the way Bra was acting…trying to show off and make a good first impression. She looked on at the scene with Goku holding Bra and Pan and couldn't help but remember all those years ago…on that certain day that seemed like almost any other…when Goten and Trunks first met him. It seemed like déjà vu…no time at all passed. The overwhelming feeling clenched her heart and brought tears to her eyes again. That was the day that started everything…

Goten and Trunks took to Goku just as well as Pan and Bra were doing now. Of course, Bulma never forgot about those tests she took and finding out that Bra was also Vegeta's kid. But in this family of hers that seemed to keep growing, biological fathers and mothers weren't needed…what mattered was who was a plain out good father and mother to those children. All they needed was caring and loving parents for them to be happy.

Maybe one day her and Goku will tell them all their real histories…and also, maybe one day she would get up the nerve to tell Goku that Bra wasn't his. But for now…as she saw…everything was fine the way it was. She didn't want to ask questions about why or how he was back. For once in her life, she wanted to just accept the way things were.

8888888888

That first day flew by for all of them, but for Trunks, Goten, and Pan, it went by even faster. Day one was for the Children's Division and Day two and three were for the rest of the contestants.

The first few hours were boring, however, with the weaker kids taking over the spotlight. They were each beating the other in the weirdest of ways, such as simply having them skin their knees, falling out of the arena from a light push, or sneezing on each other. When Trunks, Goten, or Pan was in the arena, one punch left the other kids begging for mercy. Trunks ended up beating Pan and also Goten in the final match. Everyone made sure to treat all three of them like winners, though, and they were all good-sports.

At the end of the day, they all checked in at a nearby hotel, since the main one was all booked up. They bought out the last four rooms, one for Gohan and Videl, one for Trunks and Goten, one for Pan and Bra, and another for Goku and Bulma.

Goku decided to stay out a little later with Trunks and Goten, giving them a few pointers on what they should have done differently to make the battle look neater and to not lose their breath so quickly. It gave him some time to warm up, too.

In their room, Bulma just got done taking a bath and was now sitting in front of a mirror running a brush through her hair that fell a little past her shoulders. Staring at herself, she seemed entranced. She noticed the difference in herself from three years ago…she was getting more noticeable wrinkles at the corners of her mouth and the sides of her eyes. She noticed that her age was showing, but she wondered if Goku noticed. He hadn't seemed to age one bit since those three years ago, but she figured that was to be expected. After all, he had been dead in those years. But if this kept up, she was soon going to look sixty while he still looked twenty-five.

Her eyes mellowed and she set her brush lightly on the table. Then what would happen? Her looks were always one of the things that kept her going, leaving her to almost always get her way. Would she still be happy when her whole face was wrinkles and her hair was gray?

She heard the door do a double click to let her know Goku was coming in. She continued to look into the mirror while her peripheral vision watched him close the door and walk over to the bed where he could take off his sweaty undershirt. By now, he was behind her so she could view him through the mirror.

"Guess what?" he spoke up first, finally getting the shirt off that stuck to him like glue, "I ran into Krillin and his family. Don't know how we missed them earlier today. Him and Eighteen are planning on fighting tomorrow, too. It was weird to see Krillin around her and Marron…he looked like he could be the father of both of them. It's funny how Eighteen didn't change one bit, but I guess androids usually don't."

Trying not to let the comment get to her, she smirked a little, "Almost makes me wish I could be an android."

"Nah," he answered immediately, now sliding his gi off, "that would mean you would have cold eyes. I don't think it's very becoming."

Bulma slid around in her seat to face him, looking slightly amused, "You'd rather have warm eyes than a perfect face?"

Goku finally got to the point where he was just in his boxers, throwing his dirty clothes in one corner of the room, "I think warm eyes is what makes the perfect face."

She felt her heart skip a beat and do a flutter while her stomach did a flip-flop. _Kami, how perfect is this guy?_

"Goku…?" she stood up slowly from her seat, her silky blue nightgown rubbing smoothly against her legs. She walked over to him, one bare foot in front of the other. From where he was sitting on the bed, she got on her knees gracefully in front of him, grabbing both his hands into hers and looking up at him, "Are my eyes warm?"

He showed her a huge smile and tugged one of his hands free to go to her shoulder and give it a small massage; "They're one of the warmest set of eyes I've ever seen, Bulma. Yours…and Pan's…and Bra's…" his smile softened into that of a lovers, though his eyes still showed the child in him, "All of you are beautiful."

The annotation made her mimic his smile and raise her head up to kiss him, the first time in so many years. She felt his hands slide down her arms and to her hips where he then lifted her off the floor like she was nothing but a feather. He sat her down on the edge of the bed with him for a moment, keeping the kiss light and simple. His arms then slid around her in a protective embrace, laying her gently on the bed. His body half covered hers, her hands placed firmly on his shoulder blades.

Their lips moved over one anothers with such expertise it would take an experienced person's breath away and leave an innocent longing for something they never knew of before.

Bulma folded her knee up before slightly bring it back down to hug one of Goku's legs in between her own, her hands finally sliding over him to feel his bare skin against her. The deep passion both of them were expressing very obviously made them panting for much needed air. They recaptured it quickly, going in for another kiss, but Bulma pulled back quickly.

His sweet smile led her to beam and pull his head down to rest on her shoulder, "I love you so much…" she whispered with such extreme sincerity she felt his heart begin to beat quicker against her chest, "Tell me you'll never leave me again."

Suddenly, she felt him tense up, his breath getting sucked in quickly. Her eyes traveled down to look at the side of his face as she questioned him. She brought his head back up so she could look into his eyes, knowing instantaneously he was hiding something.

"Goku…what is it?" She heard her voice waver, but couldn't help it. Something was wrong and when Goku also thought that, something was _extremely _wrong.

He finally let out the breath he'd been holding in, knowing he had to tell her sometime. He already informed Gohan of it when Shin first told him of it, and he had told Goten and Trunks that there was some danger coming and that they would be a lot of help. They were more than willing to pitch in, of course.

"Bulma, there is a reason I was allowed to come back."

Sighing, Bulma shook her head, "So it wasn't just someone up there having a really good day and decided to pick a random person to bring back to life?"

Goku let out a breathy laugh and kissed her nose, "Unfortunately, no. There was a price that came with this life."

"Oh, great…a deal involving life. That can never be good," She commented, rolling her eyes while her fingers subconsciously got tangled in his hair.

"Earth has a new threat," Goku blurted out, "A Kai told me about him, someone named Majin Buu. He said he was the strongest enemy they ever faced when he was first created and they have a prophecy that he's going to come back again around this time. They said I was the only one that stood a chance against him and if I agreed to fight him, I could have my life back."

As Goku summed this all up, she could do nothing but blink up at him. It didn't take long for her eyes to narrow, though he saw past the façade and saw the hurt in her orbs, "So, what your saying is that you got your life back only to put it on the line again?"

"Well…" Goku paused for a moment, thought it over, then nodded, "Yeah, I guess."

She slapped him on the shoulder, "Why are you always doing that?! Why can't you just come back and enjoy yourself?!"

"Bulma," he grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the pillow beneath her so she wouldn't slap him again, "I would like to do that, really…to just spend time with my family. It's not my fault this guy decided to show up on Earth, but I wasn't about to dismiss this chance at the risk of any of you getting hurt. Plus…" he leaned down to kiss her again, "I'm enjoying myself right now and I did all day today. That's something, right?"

Glaring a little bit longer, she finally sighed and gave up, figuring there was no use arguing with it, "I guess you're right. But Goku…please don't get killed again. I really need you here."

"Hm…you seemed to have done a pretty good job without me," he teased, bringing his lips to the side of her neck to nibble on a tender spot.

She squirmed underneath him and giggled, craning her neck better for him, however, "Believe me, it's a lot easier to get stuff done when you keep the kids occupied."

"Oh, is that all I'm good for?" he questioned, giving her neck a short nip. It made her squeal giddily and squeeze his leg tighter between hers. Because her wrists were still trapped to the pillows, she couldn't reach out and touch him.

She stared up at the ceiling as he loved her neck, every once in awhile closing her eyes with bliss when he hit a certain spot that made her skin tingle. His lips moved down to the front of her neck, then over to her collarbone. He finally let go of her wrists, his hands sliding down the length of her body…

__

There has to be something special about the two of us that we keep getting reunited, no matter what obstacle comes between us and for how long. We balance each other out so perfectly, it seems right out of a storybook.

Speaking of stories, I happened to think about that one book I was reading way back when Goku first came for that week. I can't even think of the title it's been so long, but I remember getting deeply into it. I pretended like I was the heroine and Goku was the hero. We were simply living through our lives, one moment at a time.

I don't remember finishing that book…I think back then I was too scared to see how it ended. What if they did get together and I was left alone? Then what would I compare us to? Or what if it was a depressing book and they didn't end up together and it left me with no hope? No…I decided to live out the book and conclude it that way.

I don't think I ever want to complete that book…I'll live through it. With Goku, I believe there never will be an ending, no matter what comes along. Whatever this new enemy has to offer, I say bring it on. The Earth's heroes will find a way to destroy him, just like the many times they did in the past. And if Goku doesn't make it and never gets another chance, well…I believe I could live with it. I realized it's time for me to grow up and not just say I did. Through Goku, there are his sons and his granddaughter, to which I'm sure there will still be more to come.

But who knows, maybe everything will turn out for the best in the end…maybe Goku will live. Maybe it is time for me to begin thinking optimistically. With everyone's help, it'll be just like how it was in the beginning—never ending.

In case you're wondering…I have no idea if this is the last chapter or not. It kinda sounds like it…and I know a few chapters ago I said I was gonna end it soon, so…it depends. I know if I ask you guys, most of you will say not to end it. So I'll make a deal…

If someone gives me a good reason to continue it, I will. Such as, if someone gives me an idea I can go into that I like. Tell you the truth, I don't feel like going into the whole Majin Buu deal. I mean, you know how it is…Goten and Trunks practice fusion, Goku goes SS3, and all the works. The only thing different is that Vegeta won't be there. And I know a lot of you will say that it'll be cool if Vegeta comes back when he feels Goku there again and then starts up a conflict when Vegeta moves back into CC.

Quite truthfully, I guess I could turn that into something dramatic, but I think Bulma will stick with Goku and not pay Vegeta a second glance. The only reason she slept with him that time when she got pregnant with Bra was because she was lonely…and trying to distract him from starting a fight with Gohan, Goten, or Trunks.

So…I might, actually there's a good possibility, that I'll do an epilogue for…so many years into the future to let everyone know how they're doing. But for now…be happy that Goku and Bulma are finally together. =)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING EVERYONE!!!!


	20. Epilogue

**__**

Just One Week

Epilogue

As was predicted, this Majin Buu character showed up on Earth, controlled by an ugly looking guy named Babidi. I won't go into too many details about this threat, for it was a hard time. Buu was much worse than Cell was, always finding some way to regenerate himself.

A lot of people ended up dying. Actually, quite simply, the whole Earth got destroyed. Though all of my old friends, including Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien, showed up to help, Goku was the only one left standing. Everyone else was unable to fend for himself or herself and Goku was not always able to be right beside everyone that was in danger. However, we all depended and believed in him and in the end…he was able to defeat Majin Buu once and for all.

With the dragon balls, he wished the whole world to return to normal and have the common inhabitants forget the horrible experience they had to endure.

Fourteen years went by with all of us living together happily. For the most part, the kids grew up in a safe environment with no more Earth threatening incidents appearing. Pan and Bra grew up pretty close to each other, sticking as friends as well as relatives through their school years. Everyone else found it somewhat funny that two people such as themselves could be friends. They both grew up the way everyone predicted. Pan was the through and through tomboy, always hanging out with the guys when they went off to spar. Bra stayed into the latest fashions, always telling me about a new hairstyle she was thinking about getting.

Goten and Trunks, needless to say, changed their personalities around after they reached their teenage years. They got less interested in fighting (much to Goku and Pan's dismay) and got more intrigued in the…"finer" things in life. Trunks began to take a big liking to my field of engineering and though they were both getting chased after by their own female fan clubs, Goten showed more interest in dating those girls.

At one point during all those years, the fighters all met back up at the Tenkaichi Budoukai for another tournament. There, Goku came across a young, dark-skinned fighter named Uub. He was really good for a kid his age and we soon found out why when Goku came across the conclusion that Uub was Buu reincarnated. It seemed a bit off, considering the two looked nothing alike, but he reasoned rationally.

Goku said he wanted to go to the lookout and train Uub in the Time Chamber, because he was to be the new hero after Goku was gone. Everyone complained, especially me. I hope he didn't think that I would let him go just like that, again. He mentioned quite casually that he would only be gone about ten years, but that was ten more years than I would have liked him to be gone.

After some arguing and threatening, I made a deal with him. I would fix the Gravity Room for both of them and Uub could have a temporary home at Capsule Corp. Uub was a nice boy, I wasn't worried about him getting in the way and I still had more than enough money to tend to him.

Pan was a little jealous at first of this arrangement, because her grandpa began paying more attention to Buu's reincarnation. She was very disrespectful and cold-hearted towards the boy for quite some time before she began to warm up to him.

Gohan and Videl turned out just fine, having successfully finished high school and getting jobs for working in my company. They stayed together through thick and thin, but they never had another child, nor do I know of them ever talking of having another.

Quite sadly, Goku and I never had a child of our own. After I gave birth to Bra, I just felt that I was too high up in age to go through childbirth again. Two children were fine for me. Though, Bra was _Goku's child in practically every aspect, the only ones knowing the wicked truth being myself and Gohan._

I always told myself that one-day, when everyone was old enough and mature enough to handle it, I would let it be known what happened all those years ago. Actually, I was planning on telling everyone a couple months after Pan's eighteenth birthday.

Which was coming up quick…

I'm not sure how they'll take it. But I must not keep the reality in the past from any of them. I will tell Trunks that Goku was not really his father and Goten that I was not really his mother. I will tell Bra that Goku is also not her father…that being the time that Goku finds out that Bra is not really his daughter, also. I know it will be hard, not just for them, but for me, too.

I can only pray that I am forgiven.

I always believed that no matter how much everyone accepts what has happened and how things were and are, things would never be the same. Deceitfulness is a shameful thing to bear through life. But the truth has to be told.

And when it is…well…I can at least say that a huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders.

And when that day comes…it will turn out to be a whole different legacy of events.

No end of story.

Well…that's it everyone…for real this time. Just One Week has come to a close after two short years…almost exactly two years now that I think about it. Anyway, I am seriously thinking about making a sequel to this story, this epilogue being the thing that basically leads up to it.

Only thing a little different about the sequel will be that it will be told in Bulma's, Bra's, and Pan's POV. It's not just about Bulma and Goku anymore. They worked most everything out. But I do promise to add more than some romance between the two, plus some romance between others.

I'm not sure what it'll be called yet, but I think I'll still put it under the characters of Goku and Bulma, since I'm still trying to stick mainly around them.

Hope to see you then!

Thanks for reading!

**__**

Enula


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